Song of the Eastern Sands: Page 16
The Sand Spiders! It’s a cool name, I think! Actually, after thinking I came up with the name all by my lonesome, I realized where I’d heard it before: it’s inspired by this funny exchange from the old James Cameron movie “True Lies”
“Probably because it sounds scary.”
I couldn’t think of a better name for a group of thieves who put on a good show and talk a good talk, but are actually a bunch of semi-dysfunctional goofs with skills that happen to get them out of jams they deliberately put themselves in.
Also, when you’re a professional thief, even when you’ve just found a crate full of gems and jewelry, you’re always looking out for the next big opportunity. Theo’s been in the game for a while, so he knows to take advantage of anything that comes up. But WHAT could that something be? We’ll find out in the coming weeks!
For this week’s guest art, I realized that while I promised to share some more of Elson Wong’s Western Deep character artwork several weeks ago, I never did! I seek to remedy that grave injustice starting this week, with this wonderful piece of Dakkan!
Elson’s style really does justice to the characters of Beyond the Western Deep, with expressive faces, fun poses, and colors that really pop. Elson actually captures these poses using himself as a reference, which explains how he gets them looking so good!
I’ll share more of his artwork next week (for real, this time)! Until then!
I like how the rough stone walls of the bar doesn’t really resemble the Ermehn stonework of Aisling. Are they toasting with tea? I’m 95% sure Theo is, unless they warm their alcohol until it steams in Nessa.
Sand Spiders, eh? I like the name, and I love the description of the group you put in the description. I’m curious to find out how long they’ve been in operation- probably not their first successful heist, certainly not Theo’s or Rook’s, but especially given that they haven’t managed to afford picks for Asha (updated picks seeming like it would be a priority) and given how Theo seems to really be cracking the whip here, makes me wonder how, exactly, Theo’s come to this conclusion of ‘the finest.’ Yes, it could merely be conjecture/hype, like after a football game where the team hypes themselves up, but at the same time- I’m probably over thinking this aren’t I?
I like how Felismum and Theo’s clothing designs echo each other even though it’s clear they’re very different characters, while the thieves all look very unique.
I really like the way Theo’s drawn on this page. He looks sly and wizened, and feels very different from Kenosh and Ashtor. Nice touch on the chairs to allow for their tails- the worldbuilding detail in this universe never fails to amaze me.
Time sensitive, eh? I’m guessing a mobile transport, then (Complete with Felis Lock, Buy yours and protect your gear for the low, low price of a thousand silvers!)
Lovely take on Dakkan, Elson! Expression game spot on, and I love the details in his armor!
In the United States, people prefer to drink beer cold.
In Europe, beer is usually served at room temperature.
In Nessa, where they live in the desert and have no reliable means of refrigeration, the inhabitants just say, “Screw it! BOIL IT ALL!”
But in all seriousness, that probably is tea. Because when does Theo ever drink anything else?
Oh, and I hadn’t even noticed the chairs until you pointed them out, but that is the most brilliant design. It makes so much sense! They probably are a little more fragile with only one beam holding up the back, though.
Huh, I didn’t know that. I assumed that they had a cellar or something but in retrospect that makes more sense.
Theo likes his hot leaf juice, but not his fermented spruce buds.
…I went back and checked and apparently they had benches at the Land’s End, doubtless for the same reasons. I like the cultural differences because it’s probably a lot easier (and more common) for a chair to be broken over someone’s head in the Abadis Tavern than in the Land’s End.
Thanks for commenting on the stone walls.
It made me take a closer look at how there’s detailed stones in the top panel and the first bottom one, fuzzier stones in the middle bottom one, and then just a blur in the final panel.
It reminds me of how aperture and focus can be used in photography.
I like the name for the SOTES quartet– “Sand Spiders.” it’s got a nice ring to it.
…unless you’re arachnophobic…
Oh, and speaking of names, I just thought of some nicknames for each member of this slightly dysfunctional group;
Asha: the thief (yet Felis locks pose a challenge)
Beck: the smooth talker (well… her haggling skills can prove it. and her molars too.)
Rook: the muscle (self explanatory)
Theo: the godfather (‘cuz it sounds badass. also he’s the leader of the gang)
Beck is the Face, but they only use her for haggling when things get out of hand. Her exemplary, fourth-wall breaking ability to pick pockets makes up for the exorbitant prices she manages to spend on trivialities, such as feathered headdresses.
hah, never mine for some reason my eyes totally skipped over Beck in your line up XC
Really good analysis, Mr. J.
You forgot the fifth member, though: The fat merchant, who is stealing following them, yelling “thieeeef” all the way. He usually appear in the middle of their heists at the most inopportune times, if there ever is an opportune time for someone to point at you yelling.
Lovely page! Theo’s all business, and it looks like the Sand Spiders are going to be pulling double duty today for thievery. Though I doubt that they truly are the “finest den of Nessan thieves”, as Theo so proudly proclaims.
I have a sort of sneaking suspicion that they may run into a certain Tamian merchant while out and about on this next job. And the job itself may or may not involve a different Tamian . . . one in an ambassadorial position, perhaps?
Elson’s Dakkan is fantastic! We truly are lucky to have so many talented artists showing their love of Beyond the Western Deep.
Tune in next week, same desert-time, same desert-channel. Until then:
“TO THE SAND SPOYDERS <3!"
Makes you think if Theo probably came up with that name while intoxicated from drinking all that tea lol. But nonetheless it’s a fitting name, for such a silly group of people.
Elson’s work here though is just nothing short of amazing. I’ve managed to catch glimpses for the others via his DA but I just love how stylish he makes the cast look.
Oh my god, Theo has EYES!
“It’s the eyes of the Vulpin, it’s the thrill of the theft, glittering with the triumph of the spiiiiii-ders . . .”
It’s a shock to us all, I know.
The Sand Spiders, cheesy, yet great fun. ^^
The chairs are really neato, you folks put in a lotta thought into how to design things in the world, it’s a breath of fresh air after reading so many comics that don’t.
Also wonderful is Theo, congratulating his little crew for one job only to *immediately* prep them for the next one. No rest for the wicked, the wily, nor the willful.
I just wanted to point out the little detail with the chairs, how they only have one side holding up the back. I assume thats to make it easier to slide ones tail into the back with out too much hassle.
Its details like this that really flesh out the world
I just saw that too! That’s such a clever idea! I wonder if that was something Alex came up with or just a detail Jerome added
That’s actually something Rachel concocted back when she was sketching out ideas for the Lands End tavern scene in chapter one! If you have the hardcover, you can check out the bonus art at the end and see some of the various chair concepts she came up with, including the one-side-backing design Jerome used here!
Did this page just get colored, or was it colored before?
https://westerndeep.net/comic/chapter-2-page-21/
Good catch, Fourth! I mentioned this earlier, but we’re going to be updating the unfinished pages from chapter 2 as they’re finished for the book submission. I figure at the point we have the updated pages, why not get them onto the site? :)
I feel rather silly bringing this up, but that is some familiar scenery right there. I hadn’t seen the old pages in a while, so I’d forgotten what the northern wastes looked like, and the fact they that look very similar to where I live now. :T Immediate sympathy gained for the ermehn; the wind and winter can be awful.