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[PA Comic] Wednesday, October 17, 2012 - Thornwatch, Part One

GethGeth LegionPerseus VeilRegistered User, Moderator, Penny Arcade Staff, Vanilla Staff vanilla
edited October 2012 in The Penny Arcade Hub
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  • SaraLunaSaraLuna Registered User regular
    oh yes

  • WearingglassesWearingglasses Of the friendly neighborhood variety Registered User regular
    edited October 2012
    That's a vampire-batwolf.
    EDIT: or a Wolfbat!

    Wearingglasses on
  • 101101 Registered User regular
    Oh hell yes

  • WearingglassesWearingglasses Of the friendly neighborhood variety Registered User regular
    That's intriguing, though: is the Watcher of Thorns the beast (where 'breaker of oaths' means something poetic or shit), or something used to call deserters in the Lookouts world (where 'breaker of oaths' is literal)?

  • RMS OceanicRMS Oceanic Registered User regular
    It could be that the beast is so dangerous nobody has survived an encounter with it without breaking their oath (running away, letting their comrades die etc).

    This comic is beautiful to look at.

  • AegeriAegeri Tiny wee bacteriums Plateau of LengRegistered User regular
    That's intriguing, though: is the Watcher of Thorns the beast (where 'breaker of oaths' means something poetic or shit), or something used to call deserters in the Lookouts world (where 'breaker of oaths' is literal)?

    They have recently added the thornwatch into the worlds canon, so it probably has to do with that and they may arise from lookouts who were disgraced/ran.

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  • Comedy RefluxComedy Reflux Web creator FlandersRegistered User regular
    Strip-card game tie-in, oh yes! :-D

    Also, I believe this is that kickstarter money at work?

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  • EvermournEvermourn Registered User regular
    Possibly that kid is running away from the fight, hence becoming an oathbreaker- given he isn't wounded and his cloak isn't ripped that animal has probably just killed one of the other Lookouts. Next comic might see him being taken in by the Thornwatch.

  • MalReynoldsMalReynolds The Hunter S Thompson of incredibly mild medicines Registered User regular
    Bloody weapons, tattered cloak on the ground, kid running away;

    I'd say he's an oathbreaker.

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  • ArcSynArcSyn Registered User regular
    Yes, yes! Though we haven't gotten anything from the Daughters yet, but I can understand if the Thornwatch is on Mike's mind the most.

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  • TurambarTurambar Independent Registered User regular
    Sign me up

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  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEON Registered User regular
    Aegeri wrote: »
    That's intriguing, though: is the Watcher of Thorns the beast (where 'breaker of oaths' means something poetic or shit), or something used to call deserters in the Lookouts world (where 'breaker of oaths' is literal)?

    They have recently added the thornwatch into the worlds canon, so it probably has to do with that and they may arise from lookouts who were disgraced/ran.
    Not just probably - this was confirmed somewhere at one point.

  • RankenphileRankenphile Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderator mod
    I am so enamored by the Lookouts world. Really looking forward to seeing this comic unfold, and getting to watch Mike go through the game design process is an absolute treat.

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  • facetiousfacetious a wit so dry it shits sandRegistered User regular
    I really like how in the detail bit, the falling leaves are like symbolic blood.

    But yeah I love the Lookouts world, it's probably my favourite PA-related thing. Really excited for this.

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    Real strong, facetious.

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  • AurichAurich ArizonaRegistered User regular
    I still can't believe Automata won that poll. Lookouts just grabs you so aggressively. HOW do you not want to know more always?

  • Svenne345Svenne345 Treasure Hider Registered User regular
    I knew this was going to be awesome, but not this awesome.


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  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    Aurich wrote: »
    I still can't believe Automata won that poll. Lookouts just grabs you so aggressively. HOW do you not want to know more always?

    Honestly they are equal in my mind. Both worlds are so mindbogglingly interesting to me, I can't decide.

  • foodlefoodle Registered User regular
    That's intriguing, though: is the Watcher of Thorns the beast (where 'breaker of oaths' means something poetic or shit), or something used to call deserters in the Lookouts world (where 'breaker of oaths' is literal)?

    Watcher of Thorns (or Thornwatch) is a group of former/disaffected/deserter Lookouts who patrol the parts of the woods that the Lookouts can't or won't. They also help people in need. Gabe/Mike has previously described them as being like the A-Team from the 80's TV show. They are oath breakers because they've gone against the Lookout way at least in part.

  • CorehealerCorehealer The Apothecary The softer edge of the universe.Registered User regular
    foodle wrote: »
    That's intriguing, though: is the Watcher of Thorns the beast (where 'breaker of oaths' means something poetic or shit), or something used to call deserters in the Lookouts world (where 'breaker of oaths' is literal)?

    Watcher of Thorns (or Thornwatch) is a group of former/disaffected/deserter Lookouts who patrol the parts of the woods that the Lookouts can't or won't. They also help people in need. Gabe/Mike has previously described them as being like the A-Team from the 80's TV show. They are oath breakers because they've gone against the Lookout way at least in part.

    I wonder if that means they are essentially the Lookout's moral grey area. They do the necessary things in the frontier that keep people safe that normal Lookouts have no desire or ability to do themselves.

    I want to see more of this.

    488W936.png
  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    foodle wrote: »
    That's intriguing, though: is the Watcher of Thorns the beast (where 'breaker of oaths' means something poetic or shit), or something used to call deserters in the Lookouts world (where 'breaker of oaths' is literal)?

    Watcher of Thorns (or Thornwatch) is a group of former/disaffected/deserter Lookouts who patrol the parts of the woods that the Lookouts can't or won't. They also help people in need. Gabe/Mike has previously described them as being like the A-Team from the 80's TV show. They are oath breakers because they've gone against the Lookout way at least in part.

    This doesn't make sense in the context of the comic. The comic suggests the Thornwatch is the most dangerous thing to the existence of men.

    What is this I don't even.
  • King RiptorKing Riptor Registered User regular
    Darkewolfe wrote: »
    foodle wrote: »
    That's intriguing, though: is the Watcher of Thorns the beast (where 'breaker of oaths' means something poetic or shit), or something used to call deserters in the Lookouts world (where 'breaker of oaths' is literal)?

    Watcher of Thorns (or Thornwatch) is a group of former/disaffected/deserter Lookouts who patrol the parts of the woods that the Lookouts can't or won't. They also help people in need. Gabe/Mike has previously described them as being like the A-Team from the 80's TV show. They are oath breakers because they've gone against the Lookout way at least in part.

    This doesn't make sense in the context of the comic. The comic suggests the Thornwatch is the most dangerous thing to the existence of men.

    If you break an oath in a society like this odds are pretty good you're gonna get murdered somethin feirce by their law enforcement

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  • foodlefoodle Registered User regular
    edited October 2012
    Darkewolfe wrote: »
    This doesn't make sense in the context of the comic. The comic suggests the Thornwatch is the most dangerous thing to the existence of men.

    Depends on who is saying this. If you're a Lookout, then the Thornwatch are probably viewed as heretics and traitors. They are a threat, because they reject the strict code of the Lookouts. They show people that the Lookout way isn't the ONLY way to live your life. Societies that have very rigid rules always view anyone who dares break the rules and rebel as the greatest threat.

    From the second (guest) Lookout PA comic, we have already seen that the Lookouts elders frown heavily on any breaking of their rules/code. An entire group that rejects the Lookout way would be a serious threat indeed.

    foodle on
  • AurichAurich ArizonaRegistered User regular
    I think the idea is the a Thorn Watcher's broken oath isn't just some symbolic loss of honor; they are probably directly responsible for something really bad happening. So, they go off and isolate themselves and either Die in the Forest or become crazy wilderness badasses who try and atone for the harm they caused. At any rate, I hope it's something more.. I dunno, weighty like that, as opposed to the Spectres/Corsairs/N7s/Grey Wardens or whatever random dang name you want to apply to the "no srsly they are BAD" elite squad.

  • GaslightGaslight Registered User regular
    Darkewolfe wrote: »
    foodle wrote: »
    That's intriguing, though: is the Watcher of Thorns the beast (where 'breaker of oaths' means something poetic or shit), or something used to call deserters in the Lookouts world (where 'breaker of oaths' is literal)?

    Watcher of Thorns (or Thornwatch) is a group of former/disaffected/deserter Lookouts who patrol the parts of the woods that the Lookouts can't or won't. They also help people in need. Gabe/Mike has previously described them as being like the A-Team from the 80's TV show. They are oath breakers because they've gone against the Lookout way at least in part.

    This doesn't make sense in the context of the comic. The comic suggests the Thornwatch is the most dangerous thing to the existence of men.

    Well it may not make sense to you, but what he's saying comes straight from Gabe's mouth. :P It's basically the description of the idea he's given in his newsposts about the Thornwatch game he's working on.

    As @King Riptor and @foodle have already said, it's not implausible for even surprising that the Lookouts or what passes for the "mainstream" of society in the Eyrewood, which relies heavily on training recruits according to rigid codes and traditions from childhood up, would denigrate and demonize the Thornwatch. These people are pariahs, partially of their own doing, don't abide by revered, pass-down codes, and do things that the Lookouts are unable or unwilling to do. You can't be having impressionable little kids thinking the Thornwatch sound pretty cool and wanting to tear off into the forest to join them. So you tell the young ones scary stories about the Thornwatch, storytelling, as we've already seen, figuring pretty heavily into the training/indoctrination of child Lookouts recruits anyway.

  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    Remember how the Lookout leader guy from the basilisk story was pissed at the council of elders that wanted to sacrifice Lookouts to appease the basilisk or something?

    Thornwatcher in the making.

  • AurichAurich ArizonaRegistered User regular
    This is what I'm talking about. If you've already got old men trying to sacrifice children to horrible monsters, then what is greyer than that? What wouldn't those old men be willing to do that someone else would?

  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEON Registered User regular
    Aurich wrote: »
    This is what I'm talking about. If you've already got old men trying to sacrifice children to horrible monsters, then what is greyer than that? What wouldn't those old men be willing to do that someone else would?
    Sacrifice more children.

  • foodlefoodle Registered User regular
    edited October 2012
    I'm wondering if it is going to be a recurring Eyrewood trait that Earthly creatures that fly (owls, bats, chickens) are land creatures in the Eyrewood. Have not read the two comics that are out, so maybe I need to read up more on the current lore.

    foodle on
  • Eat it You Nasty Pig.Eat it You Nasty Pig. tell homeland security 'we are the bomb'Registered User regular
    I think you guys might be overthinking what's going on.

    In the first series they used a stylized monster to represent a simple childhood game

    In this one they've got another stylized monster, apparently representing something the kid is scared of. By the ears it's a mouse/rat, or maybe a bat I guess. Maybe the kid found one in the attic and was frightened by it (or something)

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  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    Aurich wrote: »
    This is what I'm talking about. If you've already got old men trying to sacrifice children to horrible monsters, then what is greyer than that? What wouldn't those old men be willing to do that someone else would?

    I'd speculate that the Elders' willingness to sacrifice children isn't widely known. Some Lookouts die on their training missions, but overall they're a force for good, right? That's all you people need to know.

    Then when a Lookout gets deep enough into the organization to find out how shady the Elders are and/or starts questioning their authority, that Lookout is vilified, accused of oathbreaking, and cast out by the Elders. These men form the Thornwatch to continue protecting people of the Eyrewood but also to stop the injustices of the Elders. Hence, the current comic storyline and the Lookouts' anti-Thornwatch propaganda.

    Thats my take on it anyway, I'm interested to see where it goes.

  • DiannaoChongDiannaoChong Registered User regular
    I get excited about the ideas of the lookouts, it could be great. But we have seen so many less then stellar examples of the world so far (usually due to it being farmed out), that you really can't even look to them as cannon for whats going on. I am willing to give this a shot, but already the first panel is confusing on the reference subject, but I wont judge it yet.

    steam_sig.png
  • foodlefoodle Registered User regular
    edited October 2012
    I get excited about the ideas of the lookouts, it could be great. But we have seen so many less then stellar examples of the world so far (usually due to it being farmed out), that you really can't even look to them as cannon for whats going on.

    I would assume that Mike/Jerry did at least ok the plots of the other efforts in the world.
    I am willing to give this a shot, but already the first panel is confusing on the reference subject, but I wont judge it yet.

    Not sure what you find confusing about this comic. The boy cast off his weapon and runs from the creature. This cowardice is most likely forbidden in Lookout culture, so he will likely be shamed/shunned/exiled. This sets up his joining of the Thornwatch, and we get introduced to it at the same time he does. Pretty common storytelling technique.

    foodle on
  • XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    Is there a site I can visit to see all the Lookouts related goings on?

  • The Good Doctor TranThe Good Doctor Tran Registered User regular
    KalTorak wrote: »
    Aurich wrote: »
    This is what I'm talking about. If you've already got old men trying to sacrifice children to horrible monsters, then what is greyer than that? What wouldn't those old men be willing to do that someone else would?

    I'd speculate that the Elders' willingness to sacrifice children isn't widely known. Some Lookouts die on their training missions, but overall they're a force for good, right? That's all you people need to know.

    Then when a Lookout gets deep enough into the organization to find out how shady the Elders are and/or starts questioning their authority, that Lookout is vilified, accused of oathbreaking, and cast out by the Elders. These men form the Thornwatch to continue protecting people of the Eyrewood but also to stop the injustices of the Elders. Hence, the current comic storyline and the Lookouts' anti-Thornwatch propaganda.

    Thats my take on it anyway, I'm interested to see where it goes.

    FWIW my initial take on that part of the original strip was that the kid had to die because he failed - effectively nature selected against him, via a cockatrice/basilisk thing. Clearly there is Some Ridiculous Shit going on behind the scenes that I am super looking forward to learning about.

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  • SmrtnikSmrtnik job boli zub Registered User regular
    Gaslight wrote: »
    Darkewolfe wrote: »
    foodle wrote: »
    That's intriguing, though: is the Watcher of Thorns the beast (where 'breaker of oaths' means something poetic or shit), or something used to call deserters in the Lookouts world (where 'breaker of oaths' is literal)?

    Watcher of Thorns (or Thornwatch) is a group of former/disaffected/deserter Lookouts who patrol the parts of the woods that the Lookouts can't or won't. They also help people in need. Gabe/Mike has previously described them as being like the A-Team from the 80's TV show. They are oath breakers because they've gone against the Lookout way at least in part.

    This doesn't make sense in the context of the comic. The comic suggests the Thornwatch is the most dangerous thing to the existence of men.

    Well it may not make sense to you, but what he's saying comes straight from Gabe's mouth. :P It's basically the description of the idea he's given in his newsposts about the Thornwatch game he's working on.

    As @King Riptor and @foodle have already said, it's not implausible for even surprising that the Lookouts or what passes for the "mainstream" of society in the Eyrewood, which relies heavily on training recruits according to rigid codes and traditions from childhood up, would denigrate and demonize the Thornwatch. These people are pariahs, partially of their own doing, don't abide by revered, pass-down codes, and do things that the Lookouts are unable or unwilling to do. You can't be having impressionable little kids thinking the Thornwatch sound pretty cool and wanting to tear off into the forest to join them. So you tell the young ones scary stories about the Thornwatch, storytelling, as we've already seen, figuring pretty heavily into the training/indoctrination of child Lookouts recruits anyway.
    Where is all this Lookouts lore coming from? I only remember a handful of comics. Is there something out there published, or perhaps a parallel comic (like the Trenches)?

    steam_sig.png
  • JokermanJokerman Everything EverywhereRegistered User regular
    Aurich wrote: »
    I still can't believe Automata won that poll. Lookouts just grabs you so aggressively. HOW do you not want to know more always?

    I like Automata better. It's more interesting to me, the world and the moral choices that arise from existing in it. Lookouts is just too many open ended questions. It's like a section out of a Tolken novel, for better or worse. It makes no sense without context.

  • Jam WarriorJam Warrior Registered User regular
    Smrtnik wrote: »
    Gaslight wrote: »
    Darkewolfe wrote: »
    foodle wrote: »
    That's intriguing, though: is the Watcher of Thorns the beast (where 'breaker of oaths' means something poetic or shit), or something used to call deserters in the Lookouts world (where 'breaker of oaths' is literal)?

    Watcher of Thorns (or Thornwatch) is a group of former/disaffected/deserter Lookouts who patrol the parts of the woods that the Lookouts can't or won't. They also help people in need. Gabe/Mike has previously described them as being like the A-Team from the 80's TV show. They are oath breakers because they've gone against the Lookout way at least in part.

    This doesn't make sense in the context of the comic. The comic suggests the Thornwatch is the most dangerous thing to the existence of men.

    Well it may not make sense to you, but what he's saying comes straight from Gabe's mouth. :P It's basically the description of the idea he's given in his newsposts about the Thornwatch game he's working on.

    As @King Riptor and @foodle have already said, it's not implausible for even surprising that the Lookouts or what passes for the "mainstream" of society in the Eyrewood, which relies heavily on training recruits according to rigid codes and traditions from childhood up, would denigrate and demonize the Thornwatch. These people are pariahs, partially of their own doing, don't abide by revered, pass-down codes, and do things that the Lookouts are unable or unwilling to do. You can't be having impressionable little kids thinking the Thornwatch sound pretty cool and wanting to tear off into the forest to join them. So you tell the young ones scary stories about the Thornwatch, storytelling, as we've already seen, figuring pretty heavily into the training/indoctrination of child Lookouts recruits anyway.
    Where is all this Lookouts lore coming from? I only remember a handful of comics. Is there something out there published, or perhaps a parallel comic (like the Trenches)?

    I only became aware due to today's newspost (seriously, G&T need to get over their fear of advertising their own stuff) but there seems to be a more traditional format comic being published. Whether this is in physical print as well as digital I don't know.

    http://www.comixology.com/Lookouts/comics-series/8317

    MhCw7nZ.gif
  • AurichAurich ArizonaRegistered User regular
    Jokerman wrote: »
    Aurich wrote: »
    I still can't believe Automata won that poll. Lookouts just grabs you so aggressively. HOW do you not want to know more always?

    I like Automata better. It's more interesting to me, the world and the moral choices that arise from existing in it. Lookouts is just too many open ended questions. It's like a section out of a Tolken novel, for better or worse. It makes no sense without context.
    It's not like Tolkein, where providing context can take hours, you can do it in one sentence: Boyscouts in a fantasy setting. Automota is cool and everything, but you can't beat the coming of age story where failure means watching children die. That is moving shit.

    It's also why I am skeptic at best of this Thornwatch business. Lookouts just don't need it.

  • DarkewolfeDarkewolfe Registered User regular
    Automata was the best piece(s) PA has ever done, hands down, from my perspective.

    What is this I don't even.
  • GaslightGaslight Registered User regular
    Smrtnik wrote: »
    Gaslight wrote: »
    Darkewolfe wrote: »
    foodle wrote: »
    That's intriguing, though: is the Watcher of Thorns the beast (where 'breaker of oaths' means something poetic or shit), or something used to call deserters in the Lookouts world (where 'breaker of oaths' is literal)?

    Watcher of Thorns (or Thornwatch) is a group of former/disaffected/deserter Lookouts who patrol the parts of the woods that the Lookouts can't or won't. They also help people in need. Gabe/Mike has previously described them as being like the A-Team from the 80's TV show. They are oath breakers because they've gone against the Lookout way at least in part.

    This doesn't make sense in the context of the comic. The comic suggests the Thornwatch is the most dangerous thing to the existence of men.

    Well it may not make sense to you, but what he's saying comes straight from Gabe's mouth. :P It's basically the description of the idea he's given in his newsposts about the Thornwatch game he's working on.

    As @King Riptor and @foodle have already said, it's not implausible for even surprising that the Lookouts or what passes for the "mainstream" of society in the Eyrewood, which relies heavily on training recruits according to rigid codes and traditions from childhood up, would denigrate and demonize the Thornwatch. These people are pariahs, partially of their own doing, don't abide by revered, pass-down codes, and do things that the Lookouts are unable or unwilling to do. You can't be having impressionable little kids thinking the Thornwatch sound pretty cool and wanting to tear off into the forest to join them. So you tell the young ones scary stories about the Thornwatch, storytelling, as we've already seen, figuring pretty heavily into the training/indoctrination of child Lookouts recruits anyway.
    Where is all this Lookouts lore coming from? I only remember a handful of comics. Is there something out there published, or perhaps a parallel comic (like the Trenches)?

    Read Gabe's newsposts.

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