Breaking All Barriers 002
└ posted on Friday, 12 September 2014, by Novil
- Viviana: This is Lilith.
- Salacea Torval: I can’t thank you enough for opening the casket. Without you, our people would have never learned the truth!
- Viviana: And here we have Alissa, Sandril, Ilias and Ryn.
- Salacea Torval: It was very honorable how you fought for your friend. I hope you can go back home soon.
- Milo Torval: Come along, I’ll show you your rooms.
- Viviana: How’s the situation in Greendew?
- Salacea Torval: The streets are full of people and the Canian soldiers have withdrawn from the whole city. Only the palace is still under their control.
- Viviana: That’s wonderful!
- Salacea Torval: Yes, it is. King Olrik is expected in Greendew next week to negotiate the conditions of Ileasaar’s independence.
- Viviana: With whom?
- Salacea Torval: Well, with you, of course.
Well, her letter, her responsibility!
Lilith looks mildly embarrassed in the first panel (maybe not used to the attention?–she is humble). The dot eyes for Viviana, especially in panel 5, make her look very tired (she might very well be, though after all that went down, I’d have thought she’d slept well, knowing that all that stuff was resolved at last). Actually, the short line eyes look weird on all characters; on my monitor, they’re all longer for one eye than the other.
I can’t imagine Viviana is surprised at what Salacea says in the last panel, but I don’t think she exactly wanted that result, either.
Lilith actually looks like she’s got something in her mouth, as well as being embarrassed…not sure why.
Heh, and Viviana is about to become queen!
I remember how one of my players in an epic AD&D game I ran did everything in his power to weasel out of being put in charge of a country; finally dying so to get out of it. I hope Viv doesn’t need to go that far to avoid the throne!
I will admit some curiosity as to why people want her to rule. I get the feeling she’s not exactly thrilled with the idea of ruling, but is willing to do this to keep Cania out of Ileasaar. Especially since Cania will meddle no matter what, if only to ensure that Ileasaar doesn’t flourish and encourage Cania’s other provinces to try and rebel.
Just don’t forget to wear the Avaril, Jael.
Speaking of which, I wonder how they plan to dress her up for the meeting. The thought of Viviana wearing expensive regal attire sounds kind of ridiculous. Maybe they could ask Flavius Aelar (SD: 85-86) for some fashion advice… On second thought, maybe not.
Oh, and I suppose that the meeting would be as good a time as any to return the Canian jewels. Of course, we could probably expect Eldor to show up and surreptitiously “misplace” some of the jewels into the Void (or whatever that was on LJB: 68-69).
But that could mean that our heroes will finally get to see Eldor. I am very interested to know what Lilith would think of him, or vice versa, especially with her special sensitivities. I wonder if she would recognize him from when he visited her cell.
who, me? wrote:
So they all think.
We wouldn’t exactly be having her as one of THE main characters if she became too busy ruling, so we all know something is gonna interfere.
So, Viviana, you’re about to negotiate the liberation of your entire country with the king of the one controlling yours. Thousands of people could die if you mess up. But, no pressure!
*Thud ‘Lilith get back out here! Future queen down!’
Now we’ll see if she can negotiate Cania into being absorbed by Ileasaar. A good way to start the proceedings at least to guarantee they go along with what she’s really asking for. Or crack a joke about returning their family jewels to them.
Completely banjaxed.
Can’t believe the girl who played the game so many moves ahead of the Bad Guys has been caught by surprise.
Wonder if Viviana will demand that Delvor be handed over to the people of Illeasar for a trial, and then be told that he disappeared shortly after the letter was read. Lilith and the gang should go to the negotiations too, just to add insult to Olrik’s political injury.(not really thats a terrible idea)
“Oh, btw, while you were out, we elected you to talk to the king. Nothing major, just the future of our entire civilization resting on your shoulders. We know if you hadn’t wanted it, you’d have said something, but you didn’t, so it was a unanimous vote. Congrats!”
Tangentsreviews wrote:
The best ruler (maybe the only good ones!) are not seeking it and only do it out of a sense of responsibility. E.g. See George Washington vs. any of the US presidents of the last 30 years.
I’ll be honest, this page was boring. I get you have to set some things up, but the interactions in this page and the last were literally nothing more than exposition and characters saying hello to each other. Those interactions aren’t memorable – in fact, only two characters speak (one of which, Salacea, I’ve no connection to right now) and everyone else stays quiet and goes off to the next plot point, so I’m not sure how many interactions I can say are happening.
It’d have been nice to have had a panel flashing to the supposed riots in the streets, or have heard Ilias or Ryn say something. The content of the page didn’t have to just be the plot development hinted in the last panel.
@ Sammieo:
every good story needs development
I love how Lilith is always in a dress.
@ PMark:
No! She didn’t wear one in jail!
BTW, that’s the cover (first page) dress.
Lucario wrote:
I think she might be fangirling a little bit. Salacea Torval is a pretty big name among the Ileasaari.
I like the look of the background in the second to last panel. I guess Greendew really is GREEN!
…bad pun is bad.
but seriously, I wouldn’t mind living in a place as gorgeous as that. Nice job Powree!
I guess I’m nitpicking again, but… in the last panel, there’s no sign of Vivi’s ponytail, previously present on the left side of her head. I noticed it because it’s pretty much her trademark.
Even I hate how I sometimes pay attention to irrelevant details, but I can’t help it…
Oh dear. Poor Viv. This is sooo not what she wants at all, is it?
Yep. Times are good. However, unless this comic is wrapping up already (which I believe it is not) then I’m guessing the real crisis is yet to come. And since in stories the crisis is usually exponentially greater than the lull that comes before it, then the crisis to come is going to be a whale of a event.
Hfar wrote:
Did you miss the whole end of the last chapter? Times aren’t “good”. The world is about to end, and the problem is serious enough that the high priestess of Gaia called a press conference about it, and the head vizier of Cania has killed like 20-something people in the last week to try and prevent it. That’s not “good” at all. That’s really, really bad.
Hfar wrote:
Peaceful =/= good. Things seem to be going well here, but remember that things are very, very bad in the large scheme of events. Eldor is planning something, and the High Priestess of Gaia just gave a speech about something akin to the Apocalypse.
But of course.
How else is he to get vengeance on the one who opened the box that was his undoing?
@ Lucario:
Look again. In prison, she wore a long blue dress with her name tag sown over her left breast.
One thing bothers me now: we can’t see if the arc is full inside or empty (if the portal is transmitted on a part of the wall or between the edges of the arc). If there’s a wall, there might be something written on it, and it wouldn’t seem so weird for something like that staying in the middle of a park or wherever they are now (probably Torval’s garden though).
About my earlier comment: panel got updated (mirrored), so never mind that.
@ Jumtrev:
Seems like a setup for the other lady who’s also well-liked to go in and nab it. The non-main character lady is either manipulating this to her advantage or at least giving viv. a small chance and being the safety net for people.
Anyways, preference is to have non-main character person take over so the gang can go adventuring in caves and stuff to save the world(or destroy it) or whatever.
Apsik wrote:
Uhh, just as you said, it’s on the left side of her head, which in the last panel is hidden. I don’t see the problem here.
Bree wrote:
I dunno, it didn’t matter much to Shiris in “Record of Lodoss War.”
Salacea: “Oh, and Olrik said there would be absolutely no assassination or kidnapping attempts this time!”
“You’re the princess, after all.”
*”princess” echoes*