Page 1279…
So glad you all enjoyed yesterday’s page! I loved reading all of your speculations as to who actually wielded the sword.
I should mention that the sword, while magical, was never a problem to lift. Arvamas and Orion both have held it without any problems.
This is not Mjolnir.
🙂
I shall continue to try and keep the 5 day a week update this week. I have some important meetings today. But will do my best to get you a page tomorrow.
Thank you all for the support.
Scott
Well, even though I was hoping for Dan, this is still an awesome looking page as well (and I knew it was unlikely to be him). I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of the week turns out. This is obviously a serious wound for Nicodemus, but does he have any fight left in him (or will he give some good last minute information before dying)?
I also really like how you did these two pages together, and the way she is holding the sword shows how she was able to get the force behind it to drive it so deep.
Hmm… so it was Nastaja…
How dare she defy Alex’s orders to stay out of this. 😀
Nice pose. I think she should have been a little more pissed off.
…and now she’s a backstabbin bi…aaa…errr… well, Queen, too. Hm.
This could have serious consequences.
Damn, am I one of the few who liked Nic?
Coward says the backstabber 😛
And I thought it hadn’t been established that her parents are dead. Yes, there’s rumours, but I always suspected that Nic had them imprisoned in the nightmare realm.
To really top it off she should now march smartly over to Alex and hand him the sword with something like “This is yours I believe”.
gah. there really needs to be more blood gushing out. Like a fountain in the middle of the piazza. makes me wonder if the insides of every dreamland denizen is lined with the green goo inside of the slime tires that you use on bicycles. whenever a puncture happens, instant seal!
I really like how this has been playing out. Kudos on all the actions scenes =)
YES!! Go Nastajia!!
She does say “Taken”. Which could fit either way really. So it works.
I guess it depends on your definition of “Like”. I’ve always felt that there are two types of really well written villains. The ones you love to hate, and the ones you hate to love. For me, Nic is in the first camp. He started this story as a tyrannical despot with delusions of grandeur, and just became more despicable as the story went on. He does get some sympathy points for his backstory, in which we see that he might have started with good intentions, but you know what they say about roads paved with those, and he became twisted by the soldiers of the Nightmare Realm beyond redemption.
So, yes. I liked Nic as a villain.
Like the plot ! but I’d like more anger or determination on her face … :-p
Go Nasta! Though, as a few others have said, I think she needs a more angry face…atleast in the first panel.
I really don’t think it counts as cowardice on a battlefield, you take what advantages you can over the enemy there. If an enemy turns their back to you in order to attack your ally, do you simply stand there and wait until he is done?
She shoulda twisted the blade after it was in, to really hit home with it 🙂
oh, hey… Way to go Alexander… Nice way of taking care of things on your own again…
Does he ever get things done on his own?
cool i called it on naz. I knew she called him villian more then once. and as to her staying “out of it” she has more right to give nic payback more then anyone in dream land if you ask me. she just gave the short list of reasons why in the 1st panel. im sure the list gose on with “you have killed people dear to my friends. you have sold innocent children to the naighmare realm . you have tried to kill me but the man i love. and im really tired of hearing you talk.. ” (sticks him again)…
Nobody ever wins a war on their own. This is about more than just Alex.
Maybe I’m the slow one here but I didn’t expect it to be Nasta at all *LOL* But wooott loving it >=D
Or “I think you dropped this”
Alex (groggy) “Note to self, don’t piss Nastajia off, ever!”
Thank you, thank you, thank you for updating today. We know you are beyond busy this week, and really appreciate your effort to make this a five update week.
Nastajia literally SCREAMS style and poise on this page, and I’m really glad it’s her.
Also, Scott, I have to say in general these are some of the best panels you’ve done. Going back to the start of the story, the way your art has improved is really inspirational, Nastajia herself being THE best example. Thanks for all the hard work man. 🙂
Or even ‘do try to hold onto this, would you?’ 😛
I’m guessing good old Alex will just be relieved his head didn’t get popped off though, was preeeeeety close there for a second! 😉
Yay, Nastajia! THAT was impressive! What strength of character! What contempt and disdain! What a maroon if she doesn’t get the heck AWAY immediately! Nic is still alive (I think) and RIGHT THERE, he can turn and flame, claw, or just FALL on her and finish her. Stab the villain, yes; stay to talk, no.
I’m glad my fears of Paddington being on the other end of the Sword were unfounded.
Pretty sure Nic, who is a few hundred years old (at least) knows more about sacrifice than an abomination like an elf who’s usually only good for two things: being utterly useless and target dummy.
Yeah, I hate elves. Most overrated, overhyped fantasy rave ever.
I was thinking exactly the same thing, she needs to look way more pissed off…
It isn’t so much backstabbing as using the flanking bonus. This is especially important because even though it is a highly magical sword, and thus gets good bonuses, and her attack bonus is decent, it still isn’t easy to hit the AC of a Great Wyrm Red Dragon, so the extra +2 from flanking helps.
dang, now all i can think of are sammich jokes ><
I don't know… Nas' arguments still seem a bit childish/selfish to me… as if this war/battle that is affecting almost everyone in dreamland has always been only about Nas' own revenge against a stolen childhood and Alex's infatuation with Nas and his sense of belonging… Then again, guess the princess is still just Elven (like how we say "kings are still just human")…
Way to go!!! I think you should have done some more carving, but you made your point.
Get it?
Point?
I’m dieing here … 😉
lol, you should rewrite the whole dreamland chronicles in D&D speak.. sorta like what this guy did to LOTR: http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=612
that’s what i was thinking =3
*giggles*
She looks relaxed and comfortable. Irritating.
I love that!!! “Do try to hold on to this next time dear” with a helping hand and a peck on the cheek. 🙂
Hmm, that hand grip on the sword isn’t right, no way to power through scale and bone with an overhand grip. Left hand should be underhand gripping to provide more power.
Go Nasatajia!
Oh nicely done!
I would agree with you for a regular sword, but since this sword can cut through anything, i think the scale and flesh is not a problem 🙂
http://thedreamlandchronicles.com/the-dreamland-chronicles/chapter-06/page-347/
Naa.. I think her comments were based on Nics comment
The grip doesn’t bother me. It’s a magical sword that when dropped could cut into solid stone after all. I do agree with others about Nastajia though. Her face appears devoid of emotion – a direct contradiction of her words. And her actions should have left a dark stain on her. Or, will we learn she is just another cold-hearted, unfeeling monarch? Does this mean Alex may recognize himself as a lovesick victim of feminine manipulation? Will it take Daniel, ascending the throne, to bring back peace and balance?
Okay, maybe I am wrong, but remember, to understand the truly devious mind requires another female.
To be sure I would like to see old Nic turned into a collection of belts, boots and luggage. However, stabbing him in the back and then calling HIM a coward seems a bit off. Granted, dragons are larger, stronger and have really bad breath, so the concept of a fair fight doesn’t apply with them, but the statement combined with the action just doesn’t sit right.
So I was wrong 🙁
me too. any who don’t piss off an elf.
Now, how many of you reeeealy think one stab will end this? HA! He’s a big lizard. Reptiles, especially magical ones, heal up real nice. We haven’t seen the last of old Nic.
Definitely agree with this, great character to read. How many manipulative king dragons do you know?
Agreed. Her dialogue is great but not her facial expressions. No matter how she may personally feel about what Nick has done in Dreamland and the personal problems she has with him, you can’t tell me that she didn’t violently stab him in the back for any reason that Alex was in serious danger of getting killed and she was desperate to save him.
Ditto, but at least Nastajia is a good character overall. I’m a fan of the Inheirtance series, but I HATE how Eragon worships the elves like they are the greatest beings ever to exist in any humanoid world.
Definetely a major blow but not something to kill Nick outright. I do wonder if he’ll limp away to heal and fight another day or keep going, because if he does, I can’t see the fight over until Alex or Nick is dead, and no matter how much I like and respect Nick, I’m Team Alex all the way.
Nasti looks scary. Not even angry, just..dispassionate, cold.. much more scary than if she would have an angry scowl…
Pfah! “Projection” is no substitute for real insight… 😛
Nasti is an Elf. Elves, in western mythology, are pretty violent and ruthless. She’s no fairy, that’s for sure.
There is no manipulation here, only a deep seated hatred for he who usurped what wasn’t his to begin with, allthewhile taking all away from Nasti, forcing her to grow-up way too fast…
It explaind Nasti’s cold face too. Often, when people are really angry, there faces go emotionless. That’s the moment things get really dangerous. Ol’ Nic found out the hard way.
I can see Nasti giving Alex the sword back and then break down, and finally cry for all thet she lost, though..
UGH!!!
there*THEIR* *frustrated howling* I cannot believe I too made the dreaded “there/their” mistakeAWESOOOOOOME! Go Nastajia!
I don’t have the time to do it right, but I would love to be able to do that. I’m a huge fan of the webcomic that you mentioned (especially since I am not only a huge D&D fan, but also a major LOTR fan), and I think that it was a great tribute to LOTR, as well.
No, you are not the only one. Nick is a very well written villain character and I really didn’t want to see him killed off.
She should have ripped the sword out sideways, rather than pulling it straight out. Does more damage that way.
As for her relatively calm face, I agree with JurgenS, really angry faces are almost blank.
*groan*
Somehow I get the feeling that this is not a mortal wound for the dragon. Not sure, but it seems too early to be rid of him just yet… Unless the plot is opening up for an even worse villian to threaten the throne…
While I agree with Joey that if the sword can cut through stone, strength may not be an issue when cutting through scale and flesh, i still think that the grip looks weird. After she pulls the sword out, the sword would be pointing at an awkward angle unless she THEN switch her grip… In which case, why didn’t she just start off w/ a more natural grip? It’s just one of those things where why hold it awkwardly if there’s a more natural way of holding it, even if you can get the job done both ways? There was no reason to believe that it was easier to grab the sword with both hands facing the same direction…
Mmm~ but she isn’t really wording it as things she’s sacrificed (suggesting she chose to let those go for sake of dreamland)… more like things that Nic has taken from her against her will.. or at least that’s how she made it sound like, although if you analyze the situation disregarding her choice of words, you can argue she could have chosen not to sacrifice her childhood… assuming you can have a proper childhood w/ parents who are MIA…
Wow, stabbing a guy in the back while calling HIM a coward. She’s reached new levels of hypocrisy, irony, and idiocy.
BTW, a note on the technical side, that sword isn’t possibly long enough to pass straight through him. Look at it, that thing is what, 3 feet long? She only stabbed him with about 2/3rds of the blade. Considering the size of his torso, this is a deep flesh would at most. However, this is done in 3D, getting proportions wrong in impossible, so you should know that.
Alright Nastajia! Go ahead on!
Oh, and I’m going to go ahead and say it:
Nastajia has shiny pants.
The next frame should show Alex’ face with a bubble over him saying – “Note to self, do not make the girlfriend mad!!!
Yeah! You go girl!
I don’t know… maybe it’s a Lara Croft thing. She usually does these incredible stunts and still manages to keep a straight face. That, and I interpreted it as a cold, deep, boiling rage, that doesn’t necessarily show in her face.
I really liked Nic as the villain, too. Plus: who is going to take his place as the main villain now? The creatures from the Nightmare Realm we barely know and don’t really have any great emotional ties to… (even though, this could change with how the story is proceeding)?
Maybe if her face was more pale? Really enraged persons can look quite white, with the blood drained from their skin.
I’m not sure I’d call anyone who stabs a dragon in combat a coward.
Ooh… shiny…
…oh…hi there…
…
…Go Nastajia?
no, you not the only one, I liked him too, mostly cos I like dragons, also cos he was a good villian, but i plus i feel there is more to him then just being evil.i think there is a deeper reason why he hates humans and wanted to be king. i think he needs more backstory. plus i think dragons are more then just for slaying! grrrrrrr!
yep, figured it was nast. sometimes the comic is so predictable, it’s pathetic.
It’s a lovely set of panels, but I’m sorry, I just don’t buy it. Twice, in fact.
First, as others have noted, what, does the sword GROW on impact? Nicky’s the size of a T-Rex, given how much of the blade Nasti DIDN’T put into him, it must now be something like ten feet long!
More importantly, I just don’t buy her running up, yanking the sword out of the stone no more than, what, ten or fifteen feet from both combatants, and then running back to nail Nicodemus from behind. Just. Don’t. Buy. It. She’s not Ms. Stealth, she’s wearing stuff in bright shiny colors, and that Dragon isn’t blind.
Sorry, but I gotta call ’em as I see ’em.
Seeing as there is a lot of bravery required (in fiction) to confront a dragon in the first place, it seems to me she’s already passed the bravery test. The only question now is how to go about winning the battle without losing her life.
In this case, she took advantage of a big tactical error by Nic, namely, “Don’t fixate on one opponent:” he focused on the enemy leader while ignoring the leader’s wingman, so the wingman got into good position and schwacked Nic – setting aside the monologing! 🙂 That mistake has killed thousands of fighter pilots over the last century – what happened to Nic was no different.
Actually, Nic was a victim of selective attention. There’s a great illustration of this on YouTube (see URL below). Count the number of times that players in white pass the basketball between each other (there are players in black passing a different ball between themselves at the same time, so pay close attention):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJG698U2Mvo
In fighter pilot speak, Nic lost situational awareness (monologing while trying to pop someone’s head of can do that) by fixating on the lead target and ignoring what the lead target’s wingman was doing, allowing the wingman to get good position on Nic and fry him.
Thousands of fighter pilots have been killed over the last century doing just what Nic did, so it seems within reason that it could happen to Nic, too.
*grabs real claymore to test* Yeah..it is a bit awkward. You’d have to rotate the whole body to make something of a power-stab, while it would be more effective if one can use the shoulders to power the stab, and not the rotating of the upper-body… Only if she wanted to wiggle it to make the wound bigger, would it make sense…
Effective swordmanship would dictate her right hand to be upside-down for pulling it out, but the stabbing itself would be left hand upside-down. With both hands like that, the control of the weight and momentum is abysmal.
Well ,never mind. It’s a great pic anyways.
So now, does the serpent yield and repent, or do they have to turn him into a zillion handbags and hatbands? I’m hoping he can see the error of his ways, or at least get in a good “Final Speech”
(http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FinalSpeech)
scoff, scoff
Clearly this sword is powered by awesome/hot poses. So you can hold it with your asscheeks, but if you’re doing it in heroic way, you will be able to defeat every enemy you face. Same goes with chicks, yet they have to wear iron bra (which is most effective female armour since third edition of D&D) or it won’t work.
agreed!!!
yeah, I’m hoping it’s not a mortal wound either…
NICKY NOOOOOOOOOOOOO
read the sword fight comics to the Dragon Age 2- Destiny sound line (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32rH0OhqxQY&feature=related) makes the whole thing an awsome experience 🙂
her pants are sooooo shiny!
I’ve got to say it… Panel 1 really ought to be made into a poster, or desktop background or something. Without the speech bubbles of course.
According to that then I must be one of the most mad people alive. Both definitions mind you. I have a permanent poker face thats occasionally broken by a smirk. I am also quite insane. You don’t need an example of that methinks.
Does this remind anyone of a particular Princess Bride movie line? =P
My best guess: she was moving the sword to the sides while pulling it out. Hence the ‘Row, row, row your boat’ grip that indeed makes absolutely no sense otherwise.
As two others have mentioned in reply, it is impossible to stab a dragon while being a coward. After all, dragons have a frightful presence which will automatically make cowards run away, and if you can make the save against the fear affect, then you aren’t a coward.
As for the length of the sword, calculating Alex at a bit over 6 feet tall, the blade of the sword would be about 4 or 4 1/2 feet long (based on how far down it hangs when on his back, and calculating for the diagonal), and seeing as that is a spot where Nicodemus narrows, and comparing him to Alex, that spot was probably about 2 1/2 or 3 feet from back to front (based on his size in comparison to Alex’s during this struggle), which means the sword could stick all the way through, without even being shoved all the way in. The problem is that there are so many angles that it is often hard to calculate the actual size of the sword or the size of Nicodemus’ chest.
While yes realistically if this were to happen it would be blood fountain all over the street keep in mind it is expressly stated that this is a ‘G’ rated comic….although I do think this fight might have crossed the line into ‘PG’ IMHO
looks like iw as wrong along with the others that thought was natasha
huh!! i wrote looks like i was right, how is tar did i right i looked like i was wrong^^
Aaaaand it was Nastajia…..wich makes sence Arthur is dead and Dan cant go to dreamland LOL
If you liked that, the Star Wars prequels are being done in a similar fashion here.
(Yes, I’m aware that I’m probably far too late for you to see this, but maybe future weary archive travelers will benefit … )
😉
I must say I am really disappointed in Alex here. I haven’t seen any of the “many other things” that Alex is supposed to have learned. He really didn’t shine like I expected him to. I know he isn’t very bright, but he should at least be a good fighter.
Nastajia: “You have stolen my childhood!”
Nicodemus: “And in doing so, I have made you sexier than any elf in Dreamland.”
Nastajia: “That is really, REALLY disturbing coming from you!”
Like me!
Knew it! It was Nastajia!
Think end fight scene in equilibrium. guy was hooked in to a polygraph and all the lines went really crazy for a few seconds and then went almost completely still…. and then everyone else in the room died in about 5 seconds.
Kill stealing elf jerk, typical backstabbing.