I think at the moment, despite it being chapter three already and there being various goals and obstacles to overcome, we're still largely exploring the world setting and getting a feel for the politics. So while there may be some grand plot that comes out of left field and whacks us over the head demanding that we accomplish x, y, and z, for the most part it feels like this quest leaves a lot of windows of opportunities open for us to explore and decide where to take August (assuming we can convince him). So, for myself and any other readers of this quest, let's take a while and discuss what we might want to have him do. He's a somewhat royal and somewhat magical member of high society, so we could just go for setting himself up at the top of some kingdom, and political movements and potential marriages seem to suggest we might even be able to succeed in that ,but is that what we want? Or do we want to have him focus more on his magic and discover more of the mysteries of the world, filled with its dangers and minecraft creepers? I'm not exactly one of those people who would ever suggest a harem ending, but do we want to pair August up with Lucida, who seems like the default choice? Or do we want to hunt around for alternatives? He's already making trouble for some of his neighboring political rivals, so perhaps we might want to have him continue to do that, if it's entertaining for us. I think there are a great number of ways we can move this quest, if we decide what kind of thing(s) we want to accomplish and then decide how to go about doing it.

This is definitely the place to put this, so hopefully some readers of BtS see this.

Posting at the point where we're in some kind of religious chapel area of the Sperenze battleship... We should definitely not just attempt to leave without exploring or anything like that. I mean, it's the Quest equivalent of in D&D when the GM says "As you're walking about the town, you see in an alleyway [something odd]". You don't just walk on by and ignore it. There's a REASON the GM has set up the scene, there's something to do or gain from the scenario. August wouldn't have popped out where he did unless there's something interesting we can do, or unless Allotter is an evil bastard.

>>345172
Of course it's entirely within the purview of the players to completely derail what the DM had planned. Not to say we should go out of our way to do that, but I'm against acting like August shouldn't be getting the heck out of dodge as soon as verhimenly possible.

>>344933
Right, sot he quest is named 'Before the Storm'.
What storm? So far it looks like the world just got over a major apocalypse, what next?

Allotter 2011/04/19(Tue)18:32 No. 35516 ID: 3e916b
File 130326313229.png - (765.48KB , 930x663 , Mapblank.png )

>>345172
>or unless Allotter is an evil bastard.

I make no promises, have a map.

Allotter 2011/04/19(Tue)19:16 No. 35518 ID: 3e916b
File 130326578286.png - (778.77KB , 930x663 , Mapcolor1.png )

>>345200
>it's entirely within the purview of the players to completely derail what the DM had planned.

One should hope so, if I wanted to railroad I would become quickly bored, I have plans, and ideas, but I like to see reactions.

Things I didn't plan on for example:
1. People actually considering Lucidia (I actually expected a bit of resistance to the idea of a psudo-incestuous political arrangement)
2. Taking the main road vs the back roads to Sperenze, we would have not ended up in Jolienne's quarters 'quite' so fast, however would have met someone very interesting other path.
3. Deciding to buy that 'Exotic Avian' not going to lie, didn't expect the first reaction to be 'buy it'.
>>345220
We shall see, we shall see.


Also, a Colored Map, with currently relevant neighbors labeled. I drew some inspiration from Renascence Italian City-States for scale, the de Sauterelle territory (orange, lower middle) is somewhat less than a ninety kilometers north to south.

Allotter 2011/05/07(Sat)21:37 No. 36351 ID: 544dd4
File 130482946681.png - (93.24KB , 546x550 , Night Watch (early).png )

In-case anyone has been wondering 'what's up with the excessively sporadic updates recently?' The last week or so has been exams, finals, and essays for my university, thus just a bit distracted.

I should return to a rather more regular schedule sometime after the Tuesday. Till then, just trying to keep track of everything.

Here's an early detail of another pic I've been dabbling on based a bit on the famous 'Night Watch' painting.

>>346151
He needs a sidekick.

Allotter 2011/05/21(Sat)20:07 No. 37033 ID: 544dd4
File 130603365549.png - (356.09KB , 735x556 , ghoules.png )

I've mentioned ghouls a few times as being a major power in the savage south. So I decided to do some concept art for them, try and get some kind of generalized form down.

EveryZig 2011/05/23(Mon)13:20 No. 37061 ID: eba49f
File 130618201721.png - (200.74KB , 750x625 , 130301533635.png )

Did nobody else notice the bio-hazard symbol on the metal door in the temple?

>>346861
probably leads to the nuclear reactor.

> probably leads to the nuclear reactor.
Nuclear has a different symbol. Nuclear is a circle with three solid wedges, bio-hazard is the hollow circle with three forking arms (like on the door).

>>346861
tbh, it looks more like it's part of the steel structure, not like a warning symbol in the traditional sense.

It is definitely carved into the door, but it is quite a specific and non-structurally-supporting symbol to carve into the door for reasons other than as a warning symbol. That suggests that either the precursors were lobbing around bio-weapons, or this used to be more than just a battleship.

>>346882

Pfft, my lab has that symbol plastered all over and we just grow bacteria. Genetically modified, sure. Utterly unethical to allow into the wild because it is resistant to common antibiotics, yeah. Illegal to allow into the wild because of laws about GMOs. But ultimately, just bacteria.

Anyway on a warship that room probably held sarin or something horrible. There's no reason for a research lab in the heart of a battleship.

Oh, I forgot that it included toxins as well as organisms. So yeah, it seems likely they just had poison gas bombs or something.

Allotter 2011/06/07(Tue)21:19 No. 37575 ID: 544dd4
File 130750679288.png - (237.21KB , 850x600 , jumper.png )

Decided to draw something random, yet possibly quest related.

>>347375
Now is this supposed to be before, after or during the quest?

>>347403
The guy who is wearing the mask could be August, but I can't tell for sure. The gas mask seems to support the theory about the mask tradition stemming from gas masks used during the human / fae war.
(see here for the mask legend:)
>>262274

Er, that is a link to the first post of chapter 2

>>347375
Thats a sweet looking weapon he has there, and is that a hook on his tail? I guess that could be pretty useful if used right.

Allotter 2011/07/02(Sat)20:25 No. 39077 ID: 271a3e
Audio Castle_in_the_Mist_ICO__.mp3 - (4.25MB , Castle in the Mist ICO .mp3 )

I case anyone has wondered why my updates have been really off schedule for a bit.

My closest brother married today, and I was the best man. Now the parties, preparations and celebrations have calmed down (and my summer semester has finally been brought to a good conclusion) I should be able to spend some more time on updates.

[Addendum: the only instrument at the wedding was a single guitar, the attendant's music being The Princess Bride theme (chosen by my brother.) The music for the bride herself (chosen by her) was this... ]

Looking forward to having you and your quest back.

Anonymous 2011/09/01(Thu)23:55 No. 42170 ID: 07416a
File 131494651962.png - (135.49KB , 898x623 , the mask.png )

Well. I wonder what this all means. That thing behind him is definitely the thing the elves set upon him, but what worries me most is the extension of the mask and that armlet in the second image.

Well, actually, it all really worries me.

Anonymous 2011/09/02(Fri)00:03 No. 42171 ID: 07416a
File 131494702597.png - (381.11KB , 1410x634 , eyes.png )

Also, we have most definitely seen those eyes before.

>>351971
It might just be the same type of being rather than the same specific one, but yes, a similar sort of threat.

What I find really confusing is how August is dressed like some kind of emo in whatever dimension the fae-thing is creeping through.

It's probably just a rendition of August as some sort of primitive tribal as per the text accompanying the image

So I was thinking about the part in chapter 1 where August creates a rune structure then waits for the fae-thing to advance before putting power into it.
Could he do a similar thing (with smaller runes) by carving a rune into a small plate of wood and carrying it around for an 'instant rune, just add magic'?

Allotter 2011/10/17(Mon)12:16 No. 44335 ID: 2b479f
File 131887898415.png - (238.25KB , 630x683 , alchohol reactions1.png )

>>354061
Ohhh, a very good question.

You see, part of the reason almost all the magic August has been taught is runic is becasue, as you say, half of it is kept outside the body as artistic prep-work. August could indeed carry around some prepared runes, perhaps on scrolls, cards, or plates, channeling power into them when he needs them.

This ties into the August's (and any Verhimen's) real difficulty in casting lies in piercing the insulative resistance between him and the environment, specifically the target of his magic (in this case a rune.)

Note however, that a sufficiently adept spellcaster may detect or manipulate a waiting rune structure from a distance, or would at least notice something was very 'off' about a supposedly incapable Verhimen toting a proverbial 'magic arsenal' like some kind of wizard Rambo.

what about leaving out a single line in the rune until it is needed?

>>354138
That, or having the rune in two pieces that can snap together like a two-piece jigsaw puzzle.

(...Weaponized jigsaw puzzles. I feel like the creator of Dwarven Checkers. {Dwarven Checkers is giant chess-board shaped death trap which dumps magma on its victims from above than cools the magma with water to encase them in solid obsidian})

Allotter 2011/10/29(Sat)11:35 No. 45074 ID: 6ba7db
File 131991330842.png - (76.12KB , 389x661 , The Hermit.png )

Ended up participating in aa OC session becasue Phrix asked to see how I do my sketching (for him to swiftly learn that I don't, I go straight to lineart with little to no prepwork.)

Anyhow, it ended up pretty badly out of synch last night but I was still able to pull this out of it.

>>344933
Good taste in art for that OP there.

Allotter 2011/11/29(Tue)12:25 No. 46496 ID: 79586b
File 132259834303.png - (1.00MB , 900x630 , Fae.png )

Just in-case anyone who doesn't visit #rubyquest has been wondering where my update is. I sadly cannot use the Skyrim excuse, however, this week and the previous have been exceptionally busy between the tests, essays, homework, projects and presentations in all of my classes, not to mention all of my family coming over for the holidays.

Thus I'm been unable to do much at all /quest/ related (aside from occasionally linger in the IRC whilst doing my homework) until hopefully this weekend.

I do have a good outline of what my next update ('tis a large one, perhaps larger than the last) should look like, but till I've well assured myself I won't be sacrificing some part of me GPA for each frame I upload I must withhold my hand, for now.

Anyhow, here's a pic of some different varieties of fae I sketched out months ago by never had good reason to upload. I wanted to give some kind of in-setting overview of just how physically 'varied' the species can be. Partially explained by their need to abduct and 'integrate' members of other species in order to sustain population growth.

In this setting you can be assimilated by Fey cobolds? That is messed up in an awesome way.

I expect the fae make plentiful use of bronze and silver [maybe platinum? not sure how well that holds an edge] to make up for their iron deficiency?

>>/quest/360304
unfazed.
Now, I decode the gibberish...bolding bits that pop out to me.
>>/quest/371276
top:maximum cohesion ....one...qui?
bottom:whicker/Nirost/anisble/corahs/ahiiit? 5-9-83//on in ech? HAZARD HZARD ACTIVE ELDER SIGN(can't read what's behind it)
>>/quest/371278
(hey, looks like they're the same text both times, mirrored)
countoff continue. alpha, beta, gamma delta epsilon eta theta
timescapes und- wrote yet with
Desynconicity event immenant fast foward to next stable Point of referenct[sics]
lainted
Yith
time and time again
YYuggoth IA IA
God stop the hounds Tintalos
for[ward] the bread[th?] if unde- sstood tongues time
1,000
1934
Nan? Black goat.
margins: left is left and right is right! slash separates.
ve/lai pi/n- te/tan um/ing de/go- mi/ne- si/sio na/un tu/ib vi/le ti/to st/us ta/se
to/i ma/ve eo/ce co/ru fa/n l- un? mi s- in
>>371286
Seems to be legible enough to read unassisted. Selections include "Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos", an expired Lycos page on color.

>>357003
should be HAZARD HAZARD
>>/quest/371484
simple glass is, thankfully, mostly opaque to lower bands of UV. it's just UVA that needs an extra blocker. Which part needs filtering most?

Allotter 2011/12/15(Thu)01:48 No. 47215 ID: 79586b
File 132394250195.png - (179.40KB , 900x600 , Not a damn.png )

I've completed my last exams on tuesday, so... getting onto trying to updating with some better regularity now that I have a bit of a break to catch my breath. Also a good time to check on my discussion thread.

>>356300
Yes, kobolds are not particularly resistant to the fae, unless they've been chewing a lot of metal for some reason (kobolds aren't naturally poisonous, but can bio-accumulate most toxins, and are hardy little buggers.)

Humans make the best hosts overall and are favored in that way (most free human settlements either pay a tribute and fealty to the local faries in exchange for some protection and goods, or hide in generational fortresses and vaults aside from the occasional foray or scouting party.)

Goblins are close enough to humans in that respect, but given they already have innate agelessness, which gives rise to a strong tradition of magic users. As well as being historically heavy users of some nasty chemical concoctions, and crude bionics, they don't make the best hosts.

Ghouls 'can' become fae but are strong willed and usually too primal in tastes for either side to see it as a desirable addition. Their use of 'dream magic' and necromancy is also seen as inimical or even heretical to the fae conscience.

Sapient Yeeks are a plentiful option at this point, as most tend to live outcast, tortuous lives due to being freaks of nature. Some yeeks are even former fae who were stripped of their powers and exiled, or experiments and shaped-beasts gone rampant (like the creepers.)

Verhimen make exceptionally poor fae, they (usually) have a particularly strong magical barrier to armor them against direct magical effects such as enchantments, fleshwarping, or mental attacks. That and their resistance to diseases and some common toxins should make them prime warriors against the farie threat.

>>357003
Though bronze, copper, gold, silver, and the platinum group metals are all of some value to the fae; they actually tend to prefer organic materials such as bone, chitin or certain plastics. Fae 'manufacturing' is one of the setting's few sources of plentiful, refined hydrocarbons (unless it's bog peat, most natural sources long since depleted.)

Also... good eye on the text. Not everything in there is 'on-topic', but much of it is at least tangentially related to the quest.

Allotter 2012/01/13(Fri)19:39 No. 48297 ID: 818a6a
File 132651234701.png - (113.03KB , 899x237 , sephuclural meme.png )

Some time ago, someone referenced this joke in relation to Takkaya/Steelsplinters.

What with the 'always full face mask' (despite her not being socially required to go masked, being considered a kobold and all.)

In tangentially related news it seems the Verhimen ears and whiskers continue to be the key to me trying to portray some emotion on their overbiteing, slender muzzles.

Albeit I've been drawing some references more from foxes, jackals, and possums to try and get some orthodontic structure down, my latest update having August snarling some teeth. Perhaps becasue rats themselves have fairly ugly skulls/jawlines when it comes down to the skeleton, highly specialized for gnawing, but not much else.

You've developed as a drawfag man.

Allotter 2012/02/14(Tue)16:14 No. 49372 ID: b5e636
File 132926489561.png - (488.61KB , 900x600 , wolfman.png )

Something for a friend, let's say it's a yeek (it very well could be... albeit rather unmutated looking)

Allotter 2012/02/25(Sat)12:49 No. 49679 ID: 9cfa09
File 133020295032.png - (661.83KB , 4221x594 , sending.png )

This last semester of my BS is turning out to be quite hectic, just in case anyone thought I was losing steam for no particular reason. I do know where I want to go with my story/setting (albeit not exactly how to get there in some cases) but find myself either lacking the time, or the peace of mind most days.

When I 'do' have the time, I am occasionally pleased to be able to make up with a flurry of update frames that would have simply been beyond me less than two years ago. Still I find it hard to be satisfied with this when I am stuck updating conversation or action scenes at a rate less than daily.

In short, I am loath to simple call a break until the semester is finished, fearing that I may never pick my story back up (a variety of things occasionally embitter me against the whole ordeal of trying to run a story here), but I felt the need to explain my why I am now so often unable to participate in the storytelling I love.

Since I don't believe in an artist posting without a picture to show, here is some old linework I had kicking around from a couple of chapters ago.

Allotter 2012/04/08(Sun)15:30 No. 51082 ID: 62f6a4
File 133392422353.png - (475.46KB , 874x630 , squaaaawwk.png )

Happy Easter Quest.

I'm sure someone out there may have offhandedly noticed my lack of updates recently, but such a state is very likely to continue for the month of April due to my continuing attempt to graduate this semester.

>>360882

Good luck with your degree!

>>360882
You can do it! fuck yeah!

>>359172
Aha! That one.

Allotter 2012/05/09(Wed)10:52 No. 52483 ID: 5bd648
File 133658594603.png - (162.51KB , 687x597 , dreamsec2.png )

I have completed my classes, all that remains is for the grades to come in.

I'll likely be preparing to move over the next two months, but aside from that and some celebratory shenanigans (perhaps some preliminary job-hunting as well) I am free. Thus updates should be resuming on some level shortly.

PLOTS Allotter 2012/06/06(Wed)22:12 No. 55859 ID: 8ecb5b
File 133904595211.png - (425.32KB , 920x601 , Dark Souls1.png )

I somehow feel like I should explain why I suddenly introduced yet another tertiary character (and some of his own meandering backstory) into an already complicated plot.

When I offered the choice between CAUTION and COURAGE, I had rewards/results planned for both options.

COURAGE (ie: fighting the ruffian) in some way would have resulted in: Increased Will, Increased leadership over teammates, and the introduction of another party member (a mottled street waif who was a possible romantic interest for August's little brother, as well as being a useful connection to the local criminal underworld.) However, likelihood of August's target identifying him and ambushing him would have increased dramatically due to word on the street of a new tough guy in town.

CAUTION resulted in: lowered Will, dramatically lowered leadership, a lower street profile, but somehow gained the curiosity of the 'World-weary Philosopher' who may benefit the party through not only a secure place to base local operations, but a few upper class connections.

I know precisely where I want to end this quest, in little more than two additional chapters. By no means does this imply August's story needs to end there, but I have... new ideas. Things I want to organize and some different methods to try out that would disturb the continuity of Before the Storm in a confusing way.

Besides. I think it's about time that Storm finally arrive, don't you?



(To note: I've been playing quite a distracting amount of DARK SOULS of the past month, doodle related)

>>55859
Bluhbluh I hate everyone who voted caution Q_Q

>CAUTION resulted in: lowered Will, dramatically lowered leadership
Wait, what? He wanted to fight that guy. Refraining an action you have an urge to do because that action is against your long-term goals is exactly how willpower works.
The leadership thing can senses because of inspiring confidence, but it seems absurd to lower willpower by making use of it (unless we are treating it as a resource as opposed to a character trait).

>>55867
Willpower is a bit of a resource, think of it as somewhere between Sanity and Self-confidence.

Doing things that oppose his nature take up Willpower, mentally exhausting him.

Achieving desired goals and defeating certain opponents (martially, socially, ect) or even just resting enough replenishes or increase that store of Willpower.

>>55880
Ok, it makes sense when it is a resource instead of an ability score.
A bit of a pity about the potential party member, but I guess you do tend to miss things if you actually focus on your quest instead of speaking to every stranger and poking into every house.

Allotter 2012/07/05(Thu)21:53 No. 56799 ID: 12a2f5
File 134155038193.png - (113.02KB , 593x620 , short.png )

I live, albeit, in sorta a hanging state during a move. My job searching begins in earnest and this past week I've had a lot of stuff packed up, or have been out trying to make connections.

Just to let anyone know who's wondering where my update is, it's coming, hopefully this weekend.

Allotter 2012/07/22(Sun)00:10 No. 57526 ID: d4992f
File 134294102748.png - (348.35KB , 447x926 , Frost.png )

As I cobble together another update from the remains of what a borked Adobe Update spit out after it tried to turn my computer's processor into a small furnace I thought I might release some conceptual setting art, or answer any questions that I don't think will spoil "plots".

Pictured here one may see that though certain families and clans of Verhimen may be more adapted to their environments than others in the manner of height, fur coloration, body fat, or even musculature, their basic physiology is best suited to cold or even frigid weather conditions. Clans with such thickly furred tails live far to the north, amidst glacier locked mountains, where foes are few but the land is harsh. They bear such epithets as 'Frostfellows', 'Iceeyed' or even 'Broomtails' yet are not so numerous, nor nearly so well represented as other breeds like the Highlanders, Lowlanders, or Northcoasters.

However, even more familiar Verhimen are usually 'running hot' so to speak, due to the efforts of very robust immune system. Should they succumb to a disease or toxin it is often the reactionary fever, rather than contagion itself that destroys them. The best living example so far may be the case of Mister Peroquette, whose encounters with envenomation in a torrid environment have left him a passive cripple before the age of forty.

This hot blooded-ness, in combination with a layer of fur, even affects worn styles as imitations of human dress which would be well padded or multilayered outerwear are often simply worn as the only garments by most Verhimen (the military dress jackets are a popular example seen among the Sauterelles and other boarder kingdoms.)

Hands Allotter 2012/07/23(Mon)23:44 No. 57618 ID: d4992f
File 134311225770.png - (97.87KB , 228x540 , hand.png )

Something I see looking back over my art is how often I'll preserve a simplification of something whenever I think altering it looks too dissonant with previous depictions. Verhimen hands/palms are a particular example in which I generally completely neglect their existence.

Regardless, verhimen skin tends towards varying shades of light pink, they have both palms and pads on their feet, but I generally don't draw them. I could probably find a few frames where I 'did' draw them, but it's not really one of those traits I've shifted around in my head or intentionally played with to try and better separate them from their inspirations; hair, tail, proportions, ect (the sort of stuff I might cover in a full anatomy.)

Thanks Allotter 2012/09/19(Wed)00:18 No. 61031 ID: d56a41
File 134803913724.png - (560.19KB , 930x630 , freefalling.png )

To whoever has contributed to my wiki article. Especially the editor known as Spook. I wanted to draw something portraying sufficient quantities of awesome, but couldn't get get ahold of you for requests, so I drew this.

>>61031
Seriously, if the editor responsible for my lovely wiki article would please step up I would like to reward them with an artwork of their own request/design.

Update Soon Allotter 2013/02/16(Sat)12:35 No. 67558 ID: 22b27c
File 136104695672.png - (377.94KB , 930x630 , dandilion fortress.png )

I apologize for having been keeping you folks waiting during the middle of a combat scene, but I've been dealing with some family issues recently.

Anyhow, have the design of the current battlefield. A flying fae fortress which was discovered and forced down over the Peak of Dispute almost 200 years ago. The origin of the vast crater surrounding it is rumored to have been caused by either some sort of defensive field to protect it from the Peak's considerable artillery... or the result of a small nuclear device in an attempt to destroy it.

Regardless; its landing, the discovery of more of it's sister vessels drifting into verhimen airspace, and the subsequent battles to destroy or drive them off eventually lead to a vast offensive penetrating several kingdoms and outposts within fae territory. August's home city of Merbouillant is one of the few places claimed during this vast offensive that the verhimen retained (it having technically belonged to goblins beforehand may be one reason for this.)

Yet despite it all, the crippled and abandoned fortress still festers at the bottom of it's reviled crater, now become a dumping waste and a vast shooting range for the locals. Frequent burns are scheduled and there have been calls to simply bury the ugly thing in mine spoils, but more cautious authorities would rather keep an eye on it, than wonder what dark roots it could send forth unwatched.

Allotter 2013/02/20(Wed)01:16 No. 67680 ID: 2e2116
File 136135178113.png - (365.92KB , 930x630 , cyboar hunt.png )

Apprehension of Mad Doctor Korrk'gen of the Cyboar.

(Why do I draw these things? I don't know, it was initially just a character sketch of that unnamed rifleman in the quest!)

Allotter 2013/03/09(Sat)18:47 No. 68742 ID: 2da6fd
File 136288364326.png - (138.43KB , 930x630 , Drillcat.png )

Keeping busy between some ongoing insurance shenanigans, playing War Thunder (flying almost makes me wish I'd made Kurtail the main character of Before the Storm), and a game of Gamma World in which I've been playing Felix.

Felix the shapeshifting, mutant housecat with the ability to record and and mimic audio heard in whispered conversation from across several rooms. His favorite weapon (should he chose violence) is a power drill.

I think he's a pretty good example of exactly the sort of 'Yeek' the Verhimen would hate/fear.

Allotter 2013/04/10(Wed)10:36 No. 69867 ID: ca0ad7
File 136561539525.png - (353.93KB , 930x630 , hints.png )

Having planned the revenge/showdown of the unnamed entity we've taken to calling 'Wyrdeyes' for almost the entirety of the quest I wanted topoint out some of the alternate routes I had planned for the combat to take.

Firstly I decided that whether August went out alone to practice magic in the park, or went with friends to the shooting range would help determine the base 'difficulty' of the challenge.

The park would have been a much more secluded ambush site, and there would be little in the way of timely backup from well armed acquaintances.

The combat there would have relied on considerably more magic, almost a proper 'wizards duel' straining August's arcane skill to the limit (this would have been the sort of rematch Wyrdeyes preferred.)

Allotter 2013/04/10(Wed)10:44 No. 69868 ID: ca0ad7
File 136561589231.png - (171.38KB , 546x581 , 923hint.png )

The opening sequence of the crater range helped to establish some of the environment (a vast, open slope) but also gave some chance to spot our ambush before it occurred. Every scene from August taking aim at some targets, till the moment he was clobbered downhill was framed to show Wyrdeyes slowly and fixedly advancing on him.

Calling him out at this point would have made for an awkward scene where Wyrdeyes either stopped and tried to use his disguise's authority to order him away for 'questioning' (likely in the shack in the distant background) or awkwardly spilled his spellghetti right there trying to rush the group and getting cut down by a point blank volley.

Allotter 2013/04/10(Wed)10:56 No. 69870 ID: ca0ad7
File 136561656034.png - (433.85KB , 930x630 , 931hint.png )

Upon August's fall from safety to the bottom of the crater I decided to add in environmental hazards and possible weapons.

I littered the slope with unpleasantly rusty and likely sharp and heavy bits of old war machinery to allow for the possibility that someone wanted to grab a heavier weapon and try and bash his skull in. Not being a proper fae he lacks much of their regenerative powers, and even if he was the metal would have grounded any attempt at 'singing' up some of their magic.

There was also the possibility to redirect his descent into the large pool of water. Moving the struggle into this would have given August a significant, even winning advantage. The multiple layers of armor and disguise (including those bladed springheel boots) would have made swimming almost impossible, while filter masks are decided NOT effective underwater.)

Escaping up the broken ramp into the ruined fae skyfortress to dodge the oncoming attack would have avoided the attack and made it more difficult for Wyrdeyes to stay engaged, but would have removed the possibility of supporting fire from Kurtail as the battle progressed.

Allotter 2013/04/10(Wed)11:12 No. 69871 ID: ca0ad7
File 136561757459.png - (444.31KB , 930x630 , 944hint.png )

Even after managing to disengage from Wyrdeyes, stealing his pistol and ruining his disguise I allowed for the battle to go either way very quickly.

Throwing down some suitably heavy object, such as the rather large stone August is standing on here, could have at least crippled Wyrdeyes and tumbled him back into the water. At best it would have simply pulped his head like an overripe cantaloupe; ending the combat in a decisive blow.

Attempting to return to melee, August's prevailing desire (Verhimen tend to instinctively resort to melee) until at least one firmly suggested we keep our distance; would have resulted in Wyrdeyes using a combination of the Crystal Blade, and his grapple shot to disable August and transport them both into the fae skyfortress.

This would have cut off any aid except the nearby Sir Weldendon, who likely would be all too willing to give his life to ensure his prince's safety.

so over all seeing all the ways of how this could have gone how did we do over all? and would the magic in the park rematch have been a lot more changeling or around the same level of difficulty?

>>69872
I suspect it would be harder to fight him without allies around, but that would also mean a lack of authorities to confiscate the loot.

>>69871
It sounds as though we missed all opportunities to end the fight quickly, but managed to avoid the major pitfalls as well.

So, our performance was decidedly average. Good enough, I suppose.

>>69876
Yeah I thought it would be harder as well but seeing as how in our fight at the gun range he gave us so many environmental tools to help us in the fight, even though we didn't really use any of them, I was just wondering if he would have done something similar in the park to kinda even the playing field or what?

Allotter 2013/04/10(Wed)23:22 No. 69883 ID: ca0ad7
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I really love drawing environments (even if it takes me more design time than it should) so I would have almost surely added plenty of environmental factors into the park duel.


As for how you did? Well, you avoided any major injuries (excepting a lengthy flesh wound) no broken bones and we didn't lose any significant characters.

However, because it ended up dragging out to the point that Wyrdeyes pulled out a desperation transformation the city is now a hotbed of raised tensions and heightened security measures. Illicit and even merely shady business are closing doors on new ventures, forget about trying to ask any black market contacts the time of day.

Let's also not forget that a significant member of our party is a 'renown criminal.'

In short, we will be glad of our few injuries next chapter, but as of right now, this put a LOT of cards into the dragon's claws.

Allotter 2013/04/14(Sun)13:45 No. 69966 ID: ca0ad7
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So, apparently I've lost my stylus and thus the chance of me getting out an update this weekend diminishes by the hour until I can find it again.

Till then, have this thing... drew it for a friend during a game he was running. Some sort of alien; dog/cat/bird thing which I therafter dubbed 'The Calamitous Peepwreak.'

>>69966

how big is it compared to a person

>>69967
Ranging between the sizes of a wolf or an alligator apparently.

Allotter 2013/05/23(Thu)17:20 No. 70823 ID: 28bd43
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To note; my absence has been due to helping to cope with an illness in the family (an unexpected stroke), my participation in a friend's short film, and a small host of other unspoken worries.

Finally back home for a a bit so I'll try and get some work into the update, it's probably going to be a chapter closer, so it's likely to end up a pretty decent size.

Allotter 2013/06/07(Fri)11:34 No. 71957 ID: 440b7f
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Wanted to try an unusual coloring style, resulted in something of a pin-up.

>>71957
looks like something we might find in one of August's brother's rooms or something. or very possibly on Larcen person. could make for some funny dialog if August ever ran across it.

Allotter 2013/07/02(Tue)07:51 No. 73102 ID: 61bc48
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Well I'm not dead, although I've been so unpleasantly ill over much of the past month I nearly felt like it at a few points. Still, I seem to be recovering to some degree.

Working on the opening to the next chapter of BtS but I've still a few more pictures to go.

>>73102
people being sick seems to be a theme this summer it seems, hope you get well soon man

Looking forward to your return.

Allotter 2013/07/19(Fri)22:13 No. 73816 ID: 981281
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Fresh out of illness I have somehow aquired a paying job for the moment, it's probably only temp work but I feel it may explain my absence.

Still thinking of and doodling stuff for the next chapter.

you know what I love most when you show us the land around in your story. I love seeing just how broken the world is. You can tell just from the glimpses you give us that something better, that something more use to full the world but then something happened (most likely war) that tore it apart. Whenever I see this broken landscape I can't help but think what it must have been like in it's prime... and what it's people must of thought in it's twilight hours. Did they see the end coming for them or did they hold on to the hope that they would survive, did they give up on that hope but kept fighting because it was all they had left or was there something else there that saw it through to the death of civilization? I can't help but wonder what it was like as those people who lived through the end and had to wait for the the world around them be born again. I wonder if those who first settled in the burnt out husk you now call cities felt bitter that those shells are the closest thing they have left of there old world or if that world was already a forgotten memory?

And I can't help but wonder, how long this world has left until it all happens all over again.

Allotter 2013/08/04(Sun)21:07 No. 74717 ID: 3d938a
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>>74025
I'm glad someone likes all the background bits I put in. Sometimes I'm afraid I dwarf my characters with the enviroment and it makes the suggesters feel too helpless in the face of a much larger, ancient world.

However, August is, if not a particularly adept magician, he's still a very good scholar (in gamist terms he'd be the bard.) So he learns and can exploit facts about the world around him (in good warning for this chapter and reminder of the last, I design combat with environmental advantages in mind.)

>how long this world has left until it all happens all over again.

It keeps on happening. August's hometown is a layer cake of ruins. The sad, nowhere port he's in right now wouldn't exist till centuries after 'The Great Wars' happened, the relatively recent casualty of raiders and a kingdom's collapse.

Picture is old concept sketch of wyrdeyes in the process of squiring a guard disguise.

Has anyone told you how magnificent your tgchan quests have become? A certain flabbiness and disproportionateness has become your trademark and suits you on tgchan.

Allotter 2013/08/20(Tue)04:48 No. 75380 ID: e5952e
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>>75274
My thanks for a judgement of
>magnificent
though following it with
>A certain flabbiness and disproportionateness
leaves me slightly puzzled for clarification.

Although, it's entirely possible this because I haven't slept in a day. Been having a bit of trouble getting to sleep since I got ill back in June. Going to try and stay awake as long as I can today and go to sleep early tonight, attempt a reset.

Pictured is an 'in-universe' comic cover I started doodling because the idea of Kurtail reading a cheesecake/pulp adventure comic amused me. Still need to figure out the human's 'strategically damaged' environmental armor though.

>>75380
I'd read it

Allotter 2013/11/23(Sat)21:13 No. 77949 ID: 04845e
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I yet live, am working on an update, most of the art is basically done at this point with some shading left in a few frames.

To note, I should really work on getting a new job. Perhaps in the field I actually got a degree for... at least something tangentially related.

Allotter 2013/12/06(Fri)20:00 No. 78306 ID: 05778e
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Looking back I have by this point drawn a few undressed Verhimen females, yet no entirely nude males. This leaves a lack of reference if certain people were to try and draw one.

I keep saying I'm going to finish my rather larger, comprehensive Verhimen physiology sheet; but till then here's a crop with the selections of the sample male.

Allotter 2013/12/13(Fri)17:16 No. 78470 ID: 05778e
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I'd always planned for Before the Storm to be one of those quests that occasionally used a tactical or management map.

You've improved a lot in use of colors! Just wished to see you perfect the line expression too.

Also, your composition and use of effects is the best I've seen on tgchan quests so far.

Allotter 2014/05/04(Sun)21:45 No. 81457 ID: f357a3
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>>81371
I fear my linework has always been weak and I've attempted to use shading and color to compensate in a way. Takes a lot more time the more layers and detail I get though, and when I started working I'd realize I'd 'lost' days and felt the need to make extra frames for the update to compensate and somehow it's snowballed to the point where I only 'wish' I could update weekly.

[side note: I've actually been experimenting with different styles using some non-quest pieces in an attempt to fix the lines, but my experiments with speedpainting, pixel art, and vectors remain just that, experimental.]

>>81373
Been doing it for years now I suppose, that and I've got a good 'editor' to run it past before I post publicly, so I'd like to think there's some sort of 'payoff=time/effort' operating in there somewhere.

Still, thanks for the compliments, I truly appreciate them.

wtf am I doing Allotter 2014/06/04(Wed)14:03 No. 82119 ID: ddcac0
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So, I just have celebrated yet another year of being alive, helped one of my brother's move into his first house, and played host to my most dedicated friend/fan over the last week. An eventful 9-ish days, not particularly 'productive'... but a vast improvement over this time last year in which I spent most of a month trying 'not' to vomit up anything I ate. So I'll chalk those up with a semi-steady employment as definitive improvements in my life.

Regarding my quest, I also feel my art has improved in depth, but... when it comes to actually releasing regular updates I have obviously been less successful this year. Regularity and frequency are obviously more important when it comes to sustaining interest and motivation (see: Prequel vs Ruby Quest.) I am tempted to draw/release something vaguely titillating and pornographic as penance for not updating last month, but, I'm not sure it would actually encourage me to keep on schedule (as opposed to just drawing more smut, which seems seductively simpler.)

Anyhow, I've finally replaced my tablet nib, having drawn the past three years on the same nib, found one of those nice rubberized tips and am focusing on smoothing and improving my linework. This picture is part of the update in progress in which I realized that most of the background I detailed should actually covered up by the large luxury office chair the Mayor is sitting in.

>>82119
Nice. Still improving.

Anonymous 2014/07/04(Fri)19:18 No. 83318 ID: 6aad53
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I drew this for something ITQ, but it didn't seem like quite the right pose, not for August anyhow, so to the scrap pile it went for working over.

Anyhow, I am trying to update faster... as evidenced by my latest update being 'only' 9 days later than the last, rather than... a month.

This prompted by my editor pointing out and my subdued agreement that it isn't very engaging or useful to suggest for only the beginning of something as interactive as conversations/ arguments, an important conversation (like the one with the Mayor) could easily be treated as a combat of wills, facts and ideas.

Anonymous 2014/07/04(Fri)21:26 No. 83320 ID: 6aad53
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Fiddling around with the design of these things, probably still too minecraft-y.

T S Eliot may have said the best writers steal, but that means making it my own.

>>83320
I would think that their appearance would have less tentacles but more pustule-like swelling, considering how they are full of explosive gas and all.

Allotter 2014/07/05(Sat)15:13 No. 83334 ID: 6aad53
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>>83324
Unstable oils, not gas, closer to nitroglycerine really.

Good point though, a swollen look may help them look more explosive.

>>83334
Tubes seems the best bet here, imo

I think the top right one looks the most explosive, though the tube one looks interesting in a weird way and the mist cloud idea has some potential.
The claws or teeth on some of them seem a bit redundant when its attack style is to explode as soon as it gets in close quarters.

Allotter 2014/07/17(Thu)14:54 No. 83714 ID: a40073
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Looks like I'm really gunna have to do a long update... only way I see to progress to a properly 'suggestible' point, didn't really want to do that, mais, c'est la vie.

Sadly my stylus/tablet is also on the fritz; compounding a failing mini-USB port with my stylus literally falling apart in my hands (forcing me to hold the entire apparatus at odd angles and readjust every minute or so to maintain function.)

Still, if I have pride in anything it is persistence, so feel free to still slip a suggestion in there and I'll see if I can't work it in.

Now for something dusted out of the vault, an old design for a propaganda poster, used it previously in the background here >>83318 but I made it quite some time before that.

>>83714
Looks pretty good! Though the torso/leg ratio might be a bit high.

Also, you haven't been on IRC.

Um, to recap, what do we know about when the threat will be arriving relative to now? I can't remember off the top of my head and that is one of the main factors in the preperations we will make.

>>84836
According to the Sirius' projections the threat will arrive sometime tomorrow (in-quest time.)

Alloter 2014/08/23(Sat)20:28 No. 84876 ID: 0f6bb7
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Just to be clear, I've little intention of playing out the entire battle on a battle map. However, I wanted to try out prepping for a battle using such a tactical map at least once, as I'd intended to do these sort of small scale tactics a lot more frequently when I started this quest.


Anyhow, here's a frame from a dream sequence I cut somewhere way back down the line.

Those are some pretty cool blood-related quotes.

August 2014/12/01(Mon)20:15 No. 87318 ID: fdc30f
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>>86652
Thanks, was somewhat difficult finding blood related quotes that weren't specifically nationalistic or otherwise wouldn't really flow with August's cultural background.

ie: "From time to time the tree of liberty must be refreshed with the blood of patriots" is all fine and good a sentiment when you don't live in an explicitly aristocratic, highly race conscious/stratified society.

Speaking of which the verhimen have an 'Age of Imperialism' sort of look, meanwhile I'm playing around with the aesthetic of the human Bastille culture, should look somewhat more medieval, knights would probably have more power armor and cybernetics.

Anonymous 2014/12/30(Tue)11:05 No. 88372 ID: c335fd
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So I was without a functional laptop for a week, during which I also lost my glasses, so the going is slow (not to mention the temptations of steam sales, and other holiday distractions) but the update is coming along.

Here's something I culled from the line-art because the expression was too unfitting, but I modified it and slapped a little color in there because it amused me.

Dude, that GIF was nuts!

Allotter 2015/06/28(Sun)11:19 No. 92419 ID: efe9a2
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>>92389
43 930x630 frames in Photoshop Elements. Took most of a month to put together and there were compression issues obviously (for a while I was playing with converting it to .webm or .swf but my conversions weren't as clean looking.)


Really a bit of a folly project as I'd never tried moving viewpoint in an animation before but I learned a thing or two.

>>92419
looks p good. I woulda sped it up 2x to smooth over choppiness a bit

Allotter 2015/08/03(Mon)19:45 No. 93738 ID: 4a8153
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I am well overdue an update... it is coming but it's a lot slower than I expected. Indulging in Dark Souls II and XCOM after the summer sale was perhaps not the wisest of decisions ;>_>

Regardless, I began this chart forever ago when I laid out the base plans for the current battle, trying to figure out what the fishmen of the Norskult should look like and get in a little practice with human-ish profiles.

Ghuls are probably the least familiar of these races as we've never encountered one in the quest, so I'll note that because these profiles don't include any hair it neglects their fur, of which they can have some pretty crazy styles.

Allotter 2015/08/03(Mon)19:54 No. 93739 ID: 4a8153
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I believe Colour also pointed out to me sometime last month that he'd never actually seen any of my drawings of Freya... turns out I checked my files and find I DIDN'T HAVE ANY!

Needless to say that's just a bit shameful when I started this nonsense by basically filing the numbers off of Burmecians, slapping on some new paint and calling it a go.

So here's a sketch I made to help remedy that curious lack. Maybe too much clothing... but I was really more interested in the idea of a bracing pose one would adopt to enhance a falling spear attack.

Allotter 2015/09/20(Sun)11:49 No. 94960 ID: f1f4ea
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>For clarification, does dropping the cargo pod also drop the engine? I was getting the impression that it does not from the diagram, but I am not quite sure.
Okay, seems setting out the options through dialogue was a little confusing. The captain 'could' in theory drop the Engine Pod/segment using her controls from the cockpit, but she's reluctant to do so because it leaves them without steering control.

She suggested instead that August could instead climb on the engine segment and manually prime and detach some fuel tanks if he wanted to firebomb the sub, however the time restraints mean August cannot use the cannon during this option at all, giving the sub's gunners free reign to fire on them (fortunately for August he'd be in the most difficult to hit angle of the airship at this time.)

Alternatively, dropping the Cargo Pod will not effect the engine... though it will disarm the airship and make it difficult to control altitude till ballast and lift can be re-adjusted. August could risk using the cannon till he absolutely needs to evacuate the cargo pod, but because of the size and weight of this attack (and the sudden recoil after drop) the airship is less likely to encounter fire anyhow.

Or one could just risk the return fire and slowly strafe them, both August and Captain Ryllora would risk a lot of incoming fire, but using the cannon would at least keep some of their heads down and distract most of the others from suppressing the tower.


Note... I do actually use some dice rolling in cases where someone risks uncertain death or injury (ex: there was some low possibility that Kurtail would miss his shots when he initiated attack on the deck gun.)

Anonymous 2016/01/21(Thu)19:53 No. 97266 ID: 631fe1
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Usually the odd bits of artwork distracting from my actually updating don't have much to do with my quest, but this month it's those durn Burmecians again. Both of that fated pair of dragon knights, Freya and Fratley... to the backdrop the ruined city of Burmecia at that!

Now, how exactly one would go about the repairs of what resembles a pueblo style city, while it apparently rains 'all the time' I've no idea. However, I somehow suspect they're currently considering the more natural concerns of how to go about populating it instead.

>>97266
I should really read through this at some point, you got good art my dude

ITS OVER (sorta almost) Allotter 2016/06/04(Sat)12:53 No. 100116 ID: 8968e0
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Given my complete and total absence the past two months I felt it necessary to explain what I am currently up to.

I am working on a sort of epilogue chapter to Before the Storm. I'll likely end up posting it all in two or three huge updates once I've finished the art, but overall it's got a sort of 'Ron Perlman sits down and explains how our different decisions played out' feel going on, not a lot of active decisions left to influence (which doesn't feel terribly quest-like I suppose.)


This isn't to say it's the ending to the Story of August de Sauterelle (and friends.)

Before the Storm really helped to distill a setting and world for the characters, but I feel the need to re-organize and map out some sort of path to get to those scenes, characters, and conflicts I'd like to show (and to see myself); instead of just meandering along in that general direction and hoping I don't bog myself down in sidequests and minutia.

Seems the better I get at the art the longer it takes for me to actually get updates out (in the early days I was putting out daily updates, now weekly ones are a miracle.)

>>100116
Is the sequel During the Storm?

>>100122
Asking the real questions.

Anonymous 2016/06/07(Tue)17:52 No. 100202 ID: 33de2d
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>>100122
>>100128
Honestly, I dunno yet.

My reasoning for calling it 'Before the Storm' was because August's life is being swept up in forces grander than his own; in part due to his birth, in part due to the orb (so he can't truly say he never asked for this.)

He is like a little ship being driven before a storm.

August didn't seem notably surprised by the whole space thing. Does anyone on his planet regularly go to space aside from wizards who are already fugitives from space to begin with?

Are we able to suggest during the epilogue?

Allotter 2017/03/05(Sun)19:49 No. 109511 ID: 9d2e5a
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>>109500
The concept of 'space travel' is pretty well known in-setting (particularly among more industrialized powers like the Verhimen.) The actual practice is terribly rare as ancient warfare left the inner solar system a truly hazardous mess to traverse for the unprepared. Even launching something simple like a spy sat is hoping you won't run afoul of orbital wreckage, seeker mine, or radiation clouds.


>>109501
I certainly wouldn't forbid you bumping the thread into view, and it 'is' pretty unusual to have a quest chapter without suggestion... but I'm not really sure what I can add to reply to it, since I basically dumped everything prepared in one go.