The Tragedy of Ivoryweald

Book recomendations?
I like Lois McMaster Bujold, Mary Stewart, Robin Hobb, A. E. Van Vogt, Roger Zelazny, books on forensic pathology, archeology, anthropology, and the bubonic plaque.

I do not like gratuitous sex scenes, not because I object to sex but because they so often feel tacky and exhibitionist.

What should I read on the train?

News
The Tragedy of Ivoryweald

Some good news and bad news, friends:

The good news:

The Tragedy has received two pieces of fanart: a lovely picture of Astrid looking most buxom, and a truly terrifying image of the Dragon. They're currently in a make-shift place in the Gallery, but I'll be giving them a better place when I have the chance; I'd encourage you all to check them out.

The bad news:

I'm a little overwhelmed with life at the moment, for all sorts of banal reasons (paperwork, job stress, getting ready to move, etc). For the immediate future, the Tragedy will be going to a once-a-week update schedule.

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The Tragedy of Ivoryweald

Should I even continue apologizing for late pages, or should I just assume that you all have learned by now that I'm very sorry?

A) Yes, technically, people should be more polite to Leowyth. Leowyth, however, is not gonna stand up for that right: put yourself in his shoes, and try to imagine going to Count Eldacar, and saying "Daaaad, a three-foot-tall dog made fun of me!"

Doesn't seem like a good idea, does it?

B) The Count relies quite heavily on Chancellor Ser'han's advice and sense. He's not in any literal sense a member of the family, but he might as well be at this point

Enjoy!

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The Tragedy of Ivoryweald

Another late page; my apologies, as usual. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, but my life isn't in the swing of things.

This page was produced a bit differently than the previous ones; particularly with Leod in the lower panel, it was shaded in a manner similar to how I do digital "paintings"; I think I'm going to adopt the method for the comic regularly.

A) Leowyth, though intelligent, has no real scholarly inclinations; that desk of his is used mainly for tarot spreads.

B) As I imagine you've noticed, even when he's not worried about Evil Dragon Conspiracies, Leod's face is pretty much fixed in a vaguely-distressed expression. I promise you, that's not because I can't draw any other expressions--Leod simply has some things he's distressed about.

C) That choker Leod is continually wearing isn't actually a fashion statement; it's an enchanted prosthetic. Without it, Leod is basically incapable of speech. Even with it, he speaks little and quietly.

Enjoy!

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The Tragedy of Ivoryweald

If there are a greater-than-normal number of problems and poor artistic judgments on this page, friends, I suggest you blame the head-cold that kept me home from work today. >_<

As soon as I get around to making the page, I have some lovely fanart to post. ^_^ Lovely fanart makes me delightfully happy, and you're all encouraged to produce it. Making me delightfully happy is, after all, one of the prime ethical obligations of the world.

A) After blatantly interrupting Astrid, repeatedly, Leowyth really does have no idea why she's angry. The boy means well, he really does.

Enjoy!

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The Tragedy Of Ivoryweald

My apologies for the hiatus, friends; with any luck, thing will be going Smoothly and Tragically again now.

A) I should really start doing backgrounds again--it's been several pages since we've had anything backgroundy.

B) Leowyth doesn't particularly mean to be brusque to Astrid--one of the perks of being a noble sidhe, though, is that you're allowed (nay, expected) to march around doing your Very Important Noble Things, and generally ignore what other people are trying to say.

Enjoy!

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The Tragedy of Ivoryweald

Sorry this page is late, friends; I've been running the Tragedy for around seven months now, and this is the first update later than a few hours. Makes me kinda sad to break the record.

The Tragedy will be going on hiatus soon, I think; perhaps immediately. Not a long hiatus--about two weeks. For as long as I've done visual arts, I've had crash-periods, where I can't draw a damn thing.

I'm entering into a crash period. I'm greatly discontent with the current page...

A) It's worth remember that Astrid is a pooka, and pooka always have some element of a lie in statements they make. Remembering that may make Astrid's speech make more sense.

Enjoy!

Delay...
The next Ivoryweald update will be late, probably by one day, as I'm currently behind and a little overstretched. My 'pologies, friends.

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The Tragedy of Ivoryweald

A) It's mentioned on the cast page, but this might be a moment to bring up that Count Eldacar has the epithet "Peacemaker." This is not, by any stretch, to call him a pacifist. During the Accordance War in the 1970s, however, he earned a reputation, which he has since maintained, as a wise and just man; Ivoryweald is relatively unscarred by tensions between Nobles and Commoners for this cause.

B) The eight-pointed star Leowyth generally wears in one form or another is the Beaumayne sigil; it marks him as being part the the prophet's house. Beaumayne, like prophets everywhere, tend to be mistrusted, but you can get away with a lot when you're Eldacar's kid (though god help you if Eldcar thinks you're abusing the position.)

Enjoy!

Hmmm
It just occurred to me that Baron Umberto looks a lot like this guy that does dance stuff in SCA... wierd...

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The Tragedy of Ivoryweald

A) Note the sexy metal gauntlet on Macar's hand--Macar is missing two fingers on his left hand, which the gauntlet is enchanted to compensate for.

B) The Geoners across the bottom panel are thinking these things, from left to right:

Eldacar-"Damn, I've stocked my privy council with a bunch of whiny bastards."
Macar-"Dad never lets me do anything fun!"
Leod-"Sulky guys get all the girls... I'd better get in more sulking practice."
Leowyth-"Why is no one listening to my Very Scary Nightmare!?!?"

C) Disregard point B.

Enjoy!

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The Tragedy of Ivoryweald

A) Leowyth basically gets a costume change every time the scene shifts. The boy is something of a clothes-horse.

B) The three across the bottom, from left to right, are: Chancellor Ser'han, who is basically Eldacar's right hand; High Thane Alric, who's in charge of the non-noble fighters of Ivoryweald; and Baron Umberto, who has title but no lands, and mostly drinks Ivoryweald's wine.

Enjoy!

High Thane Alric is not amused...

teeheehee : D

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The Tragedy of Ivoryweald

A) And Macar gets his first line! He's been a peculiarly popular character, given his near-total lack of role so far. I hope I haven't spoiled that by, y'know, actually giving him words

B) Dun dun DUHN! Cover your head, and brace for incipient plot!

Enjoy!

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The Tragedy of Ivoryweald

A) And we return full-circle--Dragon comes, dragon goes, in pages designed to be roughly parallel to each other.

B) Sorry this page is a bit late--yesterday was a late night for me, though a fun one.

Enjoy!

Scorch mark
Kendric - found that scorch mark you were talking about. Must've missed it the first time as the clour on my computer is kinda wonky and I wasn't sure if it WAS actually supposed to look like that

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The Tragedy of Ivoryweald

A) The Dragon has been using an increasingly human idiom of movement and posture, and even anatomy, as I continue to draw him. This is deliberate--if nothing else, it means all that practice drawing people isn't wasted here. ^_^

B) Leowyth has the worst problems with continuity errors in his outfits--some of them are deliberate, but today's was an accident.

C) The Tragedy has recieved it's very first piece of fanart! it's a spoiler for today's page, so I'll put it behind a cut. My thanks to Kevin!
( Fanart! )

Enjoy!

Ooooh...
I really like the imagery in today's page - just really good postioning. And I especially liked the last 2 pannels *wink*

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The Tragedy of Ivoryweald

A) One of the reasons I started doing the Tragedy in color was to indicate different levels of Glamour... coming, finally, to this page makes me glad of it.

B) Yeah, the horse has no reins on purpose. I just didn't have any place I wanted to put the reins.

Enjoy!

"Mufassa!" "Ooooooh... Do it again!"
YAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!! Baron Nikolai's first appearance!

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