Chapter 3: Page 57
After a week’s hiatus to do a little conceptual groundwork, I’m glad to report that we’re back. And also that we’re back with Janik and Mitra–and that they have officially arrived in Cenolau!
“Wait, Cenolau? Aren’t they heading to Nessa?”
Yes, well, of course. But take a look at the map. Go on, check it out! I’ll wait.
You notice that Cenolau is pretty dang close to the halfway point between Terria and Nessa? Also between Aisling and Nessa. And Gair and Terria. And Lutra and Gair. IT’S THE HALFWAY POINT TO EVERYWHERE! Mostly. Sort of.
Cenolau is the symbolic center of the Four Kingdoms, where the treaty bearing its name was signed. Before then, Cenolau was a small but economically significant trading hub for the vulpin, who had founded the town long before. However, when the Treaty of Cenolau was signed, the town became much more, quickly growing into a popular city. It is much newer than the five capital cities that it lies between, and is much smaller. Still, it serves an important symbolic purpose for the Four Kingdoms, and to the vulpin.
The vulpin are technically in charge of the city (it falls within the border of Navran after all), but in keeping with the idea of the treaty and the alliances it brings, the city employs not just vulpin, but lutren, tamian, felis, and canid soldiers as well.
Sand spiders incoming.
I hope so!
What a beautiful violet sky, speckled ever so faintly with stars. Brightest of them all are the stars in Janik’s eyes. I love her elated expression!
That face of janik’s. She looks like she has stars in her eyes to me.
Oh and btw, cursor90, the Sand Spiders are in Nessa, so they are’nt incoming just
yet. Have to make it through Cenolau first
First panel: foxes going out, foxes (and others) coming in.
Third panel: Pure Janik-y awesomeness.
And in between, an impressive bit of architectural rendering to fully set the scene.
What a beautiful and fun page!
Not often do I make a post here on the website however I felt compelled today. Here is my feedback Alex, Rachel and the Salmon Party. 8-)
So, I just got to the studio and was starting to feel the burnout of doing comic thumbnails from last night… I needed a break for just one moment. To feel the magic of comics. The magic of story telling – from others that is!
My thoughts on the latest page…?
Well, the face you would have seen as I stared at the monitor for a questionable amount of time looked exactly like Janik’s astonishment at arrival – there I felt a sense of wonderment and warmth.
This color palette, it’s desert landscape and the distant glance of Middle Eastern architecture delights my senses reminding me the atmosphere of a night market, one that I’ve experienced as a child back home in South-East Asia. To take it to the next level I felt like I was taken to one of the those places that I’ve always wanted to check out as an adult – a night bazaar of Morocco like in Jemaa el-Fnaa (it’s probably the foodie in me that makes me want to explore there). Funny thing is, we’re not even inside the city yet and I’m already getting this sensation – you can tell how excited I am right? This demonstrates that Alex and Rachel have done an excellent job immersing me into their world seamlessly.
Paying attention to details I can already see and feel so much of this place that differentiates from what we’ve seen so far of the West-to-Northern regions of Beyond the Western Deep – the turban inspired garbs, the different kinds of weapons the guards use to safeguard the city (I see a sabre, not quite a scimitar, and spear), the working animals used for transport ala ostrich, the symbols at the entrance, the use of torches for lighting (mobile and stationery), the flags of unity and the mural of people that walk this city and the lands yonder.
Touching base on the last two points, I feel a sense of multiculturalism, a sense of unity. Ringing back to my understanding of the geography of the Four Kingdoms, this place, that is Cenolau (fans would remember about the treaty that Kenosh explained from way back in Chapter 1!), is central to the map so it’d make sense why there are different pawed kin roaming this area.
We’ve moved away from the lush forests, dominating valleys and mountains of the Four Kingdoms, now it’s time to get back into the ballad that we once listened to in Sands of the Eastern Song.
In fact I’ve just spent another hour to compose my thoughts of this scene with sound… Like I always do in my head. It’s only a minute long and features a touch of Mitra and Janik (voiced by Mippa and PhoenixEmrys) from a back-catalogue project. https://www.dropbox.com/s/t2ykpuf24ee5j76/Enter%20the%20City%20of%20Cenolau_Chapter%203%20-%20Page%2057_feat.%20Mippa%20and%20PheonixEmrys_03-02-2018.mp3?dl=0
In the second movie project I’d indulge in more ad-libbing and conversations to add to the scene but for now enjoy the bliss of the night’s ambiance, just outside the city of Cenolau.
Oh of course, keep up the awesome work you two! Fan-for-life. 8-)
Awesome sound work. It’s perfect for the page.
Thanks Fourth Master, it’s good to hear from you again! 8-)
“The vulpin are technically in charge of the city (it falls within the border of Navran after all), but in keeping with the idea of the treaty and the alliances it brings, the city employs not just vulpin, but lutren, tamian, felis, and canid soldiers as well.”
Ermehn need not apply?
I get the feeling that the local Canid soldiers won’t take too kindly to working with Ermehn guards since they might have come directly from Arklow or even Deltrada. At the most they’ll probably tolerate the civilian Ermehn that are likely living in Cenolau.
At least until the raven carrying Canid Order 66 comes through.
True. It would be hard to keep unit cohesion, if the guards were made of people who are often at each others throats.
Or maybe there is another reason. I don’t remember, but were Ermehn people signers of the Treaty of Cenolau?
No, the treaty of Cenolau was between Sunsgrove (Lutren and Tamian), Aisling (Canid), Navran (Vulpin), and Kishar (Felis). I believe it set the current borders between the Four Kingdoms.
So no Ermehn were involved in the process (barring minor immigrant/refugee populations in the Four Kingdoms). No Polcan either (except for the same).
Thanks for the information, Fourth Master. :)
No problem, happy to help.
This is my favorite page that we’ve had in a long time. Janik looks like everything she’s ever wanted has been laid out in front of her. And Mitria’s reaction seals it.
I have a feeling it won’t last, though. Something tells me that the plot will come barreling into these two, especially regarding the whole minor matter of a declaration of war between Sunsgrove and Aisling.
Actually, I kind of thought that the message via crow that they got earlier would have been informing them of that. But they look way too at ease now for that to be the case. Hm . . .
Yay! Back in Nessa. I love the Vulpin armor design. Its much better than the old armor from won of Rachel’s sketches from the beginning of BTWD. In other news I found this fun video of Alex from Pax East 2013 https://youtu.be/sTx4st4yG9k. Good times. I still hope that the Vulpin use ostriches for chariot style combat, would fit with the Byzantine style that the Vulpin remind me of.
Does Cenolau being in the center of all the Kingdoms make it their own version of Jerusalem? Anyways, liking Janik’s starry-eyed expression here. I know I feel that way too, getting to see the fabled Cenolau for the first time.
At last.