[PA Comic] Monday, September 16, 2013 - The Tithe, Part Five

Geth

The Tithe, Part Five
http://penny-arcade.com/comic/2013/09/16

Commander Zoom

Anyone else think she's summoning the Thornwatch into a trap?

Cambiata

The Thornwatch are Lookouts who turned from the path, right? If the Lookouts are the enemy of the Daughters of the Eyrewood, I would think the Thornwatch are their friends.

Sterica

That center dude looks upset.

"Make it quick. McDonald's stops serving breakfast in thirty minutes."

Quical

Where do people learn about the whole "lookouts are enemies" business? I thought the daughters were just female lookouts. And that lookouts were boy scouts with monsters.
Since there haven't been loads of comics its REALLY hard to keep track of all that's chucked at me here.

Gosling

I doubt it's a trap. She's young, she's scared, the last conversation she had put her into half a panic and now she's just trying to call whoever it is she thinks can help somehow. She is clearly not on board with the whole tree-for-a-head deal.

Love the little touch Mike put in. You can see she's crying in the last panel, but it's a very subtle effect.

Aegeri

It was the blood dripping from her hands for me.

Sterica

It's not so much that the Lookouts are enemies but rather that the girl probably doesn't want to face her family with the whole being a chia pet.

There have been hints that the elders in charge of the lookouts have overly harsh and unneccesary ways of dealing with things. Samson, the eyepatched master of the boys we know, butts heads with the elders in the Kitten Teeth guest comic and the Cryptozoic comic because the elders seem to want to put the boys in situations over their heads.

Aegeri

Also I would say she called the Thornwatch herself rather than as some kind of trap.

Sterica

Yeah, there's absolutely no evidence of her summoning them to a trap as opposed to her desperately looking for help with her little cephalic garden.

Kagera

I wish I knew more about knots.

Jam Warrior

Oooooh, unexpected twists.

Rorus Raz wrote: »

It's not so much that the Lookouts are enemies but rather that the girl probably doesn't want to face her family with the whole being a chia pet.

There have been hints that the elders in charge of the lookouts have overly harsh and unneccesary ways of dealing with things. Samson, the eyepatched master of the boys we know, butts heads with the elders in the Kitten Teeth guest comic and the Cryptozoic comic because the elders seem to want to put the boys in situations over their heads.

It's more than wanting to put the boys in over their heads. There is clearly some kind of pact of between something in the forest and the humans, and feeding them the odd inexperienced lookout is somehow part of the deal.

The Lookouts follow the rules and protect the people, despite the rules somehow involving you not interfering with a fight between a child and ravenous monster.

The Thornwatch think the rules are bullshit and live outside the system as outcasts. They seem to be willing to help any who ask, at the price of the system casting you out as well.

The Daughters, beyond the fact that young girls are called and claimed by the forest, seemingly against their will, we have no idea as yet to their motivations or actions. Wait and see I guess!

There really needs to be an offical Lookouts page with links to the various strips. That or maybe a stickied forum post in this sub-forum.

Maz-

Welp, she's dead.

Sterica

Actually, I never considered how truly scary flowers growing out of your head must be when you imagine what kind of hell bees that forest must produce.

Twenty Sided

Cambiata wrote: »

The Thornwatch are Lookouts who turned from the path, right? If the Lookouts are the enemy of the Daughters of the Eyrewood, I would think the Thornwatch are their friends.

I'm expecting a horrible irony, and it will so happen that the Thornwatch are sworn enemies of the Daughters.

Darkewolfe

We've never seen the Thornwatch (or anyone, really) use magic, but that dude on the right is CLEARLY a druid.

Skull2185

Jesus... dis series.

Last panel gave me goosebumps!

Nazadel

This is really amazing, just like the previous thing with the space cowboys.

I vaguely remember the Lookouts comics, and a Thornwatch game or something. Does anybody have a recap of everything we know about this setting, and links to the previous comics that have been posted in this setting (e.g. the Lookouts)?

Xaquin

Jam Warrior wrote: »

There really needs to be an offical Lookouts page with links to the various strips. That or maybe a stickied forum post in this sub-forum.

yes x 1,000

Finnish_Line

Loving the art.

Less loving the writing.

geniekid

+1 on it being a trap. One she has unwillingly set.

EDIT: What I meant was "unwittingly", not unwillingly. Though after reading the accompanying blog post it may be just an honest plea for help.

kraughmar

Not a trap - she is alone and scared, and called the only people she thinks will help. They come, but my bet is they know the score, and won't touch her. She has been called and claimed by the Eyrewood, and I think the Thornwatch (living in the Wood) will have a healthy respect for that process. Or, they ask her really seriously if she doesn't want to be a tree girl, and if she wants out they will pay the price and defy the Eyrewood to get her free. I believe the Thornwatch isn't strictly dudes?

Gaslight

I see no reason to believe it is a trap. The girl is terrified and has called on the Thornwatch because she has nowhere else to turn. But my guess is that the Thornwatch cannot help her now.

Commander Zoom

Since the Daughters were introduced, I've had a strong war-of-the-genders sense from how they're described (especially from that bit of verse). This would be something Hannah would be doing deliberately, after her initial shock (and acceptance), as part of her initiation and/or her new life - acting as bait for unwary, scornful, arrogant men.

Here's how I see it going down:

Thornwatch leader: "Why have you summoned us, girl?"

(elder Daughters 'decloak' all around them)

Big Sister: "So that you may be pwnt, Watchman."

(pwning ensues)

Gaslight

https://twitter.com/cwgabriel/status/379612703775412225

Adam Casalino

Yeah it looks like this girl doesn't want to be called and is seeking help.

Bucketman

Heres what I want: An Eyrewood RPG book. You could be a Lookout, a Thornwatch, a Daughter, or like a merchant or a traveler through the forest. Maybe get to see how much of this world is covered in forest. I bet its most of it.

Comradebot

Bucketman wrote: »

Heres what I want: An Eyrewood RPG book. You could be a Lookout, a Thornwatch, a Daughter, or like a merchant or a traveler through the forest. Maybe get to see how much of this world is covered in forest. I bet its most of it.

Ah. So it's a planet in Star Wars.

Gosling

Or if it isn't... what happens when someone from outside decides to encroach on the forest? As in, 'these trees need to get out of here so I can put up a billboard'. I imagine it wouldn't be pretty.

Gaslight

Gabe's newspost, featuring word on the dramatic improvement in his hand art:

Page 5 has Hanna scared and alone in the forest doing the only thing she can think of, Calling the Thornwatch. We’ve spoken of them before on the site and even did a little three part comic based on them. The comic was from the point of view of the Lookouts though and they see the Thornwatch as oath breakers and criminals. Boys are warned to never call the Thornwatch no matter how dire their situation is.

In reality the Thornwatch is probably not nearly as bad as the boys think. They are men and women who have left their duties true but they have found new purpose helping those in need. I like to think of them as the A-Team of the Eyrewood. They are summoned by tying a wreath of thorns around a birch tree. The knot you tie (and the blood you shed) finishes the spell that summons the Thornwatch and also informs them of your particular problem.

All of this was cooked up for the card game I created awhile back. It’s a tabletop RPG that has each character represented by a deck of cards. You play as member as members of the Thornwatch and in fact all three of the characters in today’s comic are playable in the game. From left to right you have the Blade, the Warrior, and the Greenheart. As far as the game goes I’ve decided to re-dedicate myself to getting this thing out so that you can play it. We’re currently exploring a few different options but ideally I’d like to see it available next year.

This page was a lot of fun to draw. I struggled at first getting the right pose for Hanna. I’ve never been a scared little girl and so I was having a really hard time. I asked Katie for some advice (it’s so rad that she is in the office now!) and she came in and took a look at the page. I told her what I was going for and she sat down on the floor and pulled her knees up to her chin. “don’t move!” I said and frantically started sketching. Later I had Jamie come in and help me with the hands. She’s been by go to hand model for this entire project so if they look good you can thank her.

Here’s what the original sketch looked like



and here is a nice high res version.



So Hanna has summoned the Thornwatch. Will they help her? Can they help her? Tune in Wednesday!

Fleur de Alys

Still loving the art.

Story just lost me. This fledgling universe didn't need its first girl-centered tale to have a resolution involving calling big gruff dudes to come save her from a flower curse.

Tube

We have no idea if they're "rescuing" her or not. Either way, she still has agency in the situation. It's her that called them.

Bucketman

And in that newspost just quoted above he straight up says theres women in the Thornwatch, its just they didn't happen to show up in this one.

KalTorak

I wouldn't be surprised if there were former Daughters in the Thornwatch.

DeserterKalak

The Sauce wrote: »

Story just lost me. This fledgling universe didn't need its first girl-centered tale to have a resolution involving calling big gruff dudes to come save her from a flower curse.

The first time we saw the Thornwatch was when a crying little boy called Captain Scareye there?

Personally, I don't think they are going to save her : / I know the defining feature of the Thornwatch is that they're renegades (or possibly just the scared children that broke the rules by calling on the Thornwatch, now paying off the debt they incurred), but I wouldn't be at all surprised if their power is limited, such that they take one look at her and say "aw, shit, she's Becoming. Nothing we can do about this one, guys, remember the Treaty. She belongs to the Forest now" and just up and leave her there.

Asiina

This is the first time a story from this universe has really grabbed me. I thought the Lookouts stuff and the brief Thornwatch comic set were well drawn, but I didn't care much for the story.

I am 100% invested in this story though. I really want to know what's going to happen to her.

Gaslight

My favorite art in this comic is actually panel two. I like the look of feverish but focused determination. Hanna's mind is completely consumed with the task of making these wreaths because she cannot allow her mind to wander to anything else, can't face it. Then once the wreaths are done and there's nothing to do but sit and wait there's nothing she can distract herself with and the fear returns and the tears come.

Fleur de Alys

DeserterKalak wrote: »

The Sauce wrote: »

Story just lost me. This fledgling universe didn't need its first girl-centered tale to have a resolution involving calling big gruff dudes to come save her from a flower curse.

Personally, I don't think they are going to save her : / I know the defining feature of the Thornwatch is that they're renegades (or possibly just the scared children that broke the rules by calling on the Thornwatch, now paying off the debt they incurred), but I wouldn't be at all surprised if their power is limited, such that they take one look at her and say "aw, shit, she's Becoming. Nothing we can do about this one, guys, remember the Treaty. She belongs to the Forest now" and just up and leave her there.

Mmm, I don't think so. Gabe specifically modeled these characters after the heroes from his card game. I don't think "hey guys, play the anti-heroes who came to a scared girl's call and just kinda left" is the sort of intro he'd want for them? I think that's probably what has irked me the most -- the feeling that the story is actually a selling piece for Thornwatch "hey come play these cool dudes in this new game" and will no longer be the girl's story moving forward.

But I don't really know anything! Next strip could bring me back. I'll be reading it regardless.

KalTorak

I don't know if it was intentional, but based on the symbolism/imagery of what's happening to Hanna, it would sort of make sense if the Thornwatch was powerless to stop it.

Gaslight

The Sauce wrote: »

DeserterKalak wrote: »

The Sauce wrote: »

Story just lost me. This fledgling universe didn't need its first girl-centered tale to have a resolution involving calling big gruff dudes to come save her from a flower curse.

Personally, I don't think they are going to save her : / I know the defining feature of the Thornwatch is that they're renegades (or possibly just the scared children that broke the rules by calling on the Thornwatch, now paying off the debt they incurred), but I wouldn't be at all surprised if their power is limited, such that they take one look at her and say "aw, shit, she's Becoming. Nothing we can do about this one, guys, remember the Treaty. She belongs to the Forest now" and just up and leave her there.

Mmm, I don't think so. Gabe specifically modeled these characters after the heroes from his card game. I don't think "hey guys, play the anti-heroes who came to a scared girl's call and just kinda left" is the sort of intro he'd want for them?

The Thornwatch had a previous series of strips devoted entirely to them as an intro already.

Fleur de Alys

Gaslight wrote: »

The Sauce wrote: »

DeserterKalak wrote: »

The Sauce wrote: »

Story just lost me. This fledgling universe didn't need its first girl-centered tale to have a resolution involving calling big gruff dudes to come save her from a flower curse.

Personally, I don't think they are going to save her : / I know the defining feature of the Thornwatch is that they're renegades (or possibly just the scared children that broke the rules by calling on the Thornwatch, now paying off the debt they incurred), but I wouldn't be at all surprised if their power is limited, such that they take one look at her and say "aw, shit, she's Becoming. Nothing we can do about this one, guys, remember the Treaty. She belongs to the Forest now" and just up and leave her there.

Mmm, I don't think so. Gabe specifically modeled these characters after the heroes from his card game. I don't think "hey guys, play the anti-heroes who came to a scared girl's call and just kinda left" is the sort of intro he'd want for them?

The Thornwatch had a previous series of strips devoted entirely to them as an intro already.

These are the specifically playable ones (or at least three of them). Was that the case before? Can't remember much about the previous set.