History Webcomic / KeychainOfCreation

* SurferDude: Costora, cod of the beach. Now imagine him with WeirdAlYankovic's voice.

''[[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0001.html Keychain of Creation]]'' was (see PaintingTheMedium, below) a StickFigureComic set in Creation, the world of the ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' roleplaying game. It follows the adventures of a quartet of Exalted as they quest to retrieve five magical keys that hold the evil Primordials sealed away: Misho, a Twilight Caste Solar, who has all of his Exaltation's memories dating back to the First Age, but no memory of his current mortal life, which can't ''possibly'' be suspicious; Marena, a Changing Moon Caste Lunar with a fox totem, a flirtatious, fun-loving, confident woman... who's quite possibly the most terrifying of the group; Secret, a renegade Day Caste Abyssal with some major self-esteem problems; and Ten Winds, an elderly Air Aspect Terrestrial, formerly a monk in the Immaculate Order, who left because he [[DefectorFromDecadence grew disillusioned with the Order]], and because he enjoyed the pleasures of the world a bit too much.

** And when Marena and Secret are told an event will "change how [they] perceive reality itself," the strip suddenly stops being a StickFigureComic.

* BigBad: The First and Forsaken Lion. As a nine-foot tall man wearing armour forged from souls and hellbent on [[OmnicidalManiac killing everything ever]][[hottip:*:Technically, he 'only' wants to kill the Neverborn. Everyone else is just collateral damage...]], he's one of the more literal examples of this trope. It's worth noting that this is rather pointedly spot-on to his portrayal in the game's canon.

** Open up [=MoEP=]: Alchemicals, flip to page 81. Look at the last name on the list of prominent Alchemicals.[[hottip:*:For those without the book, Elegant Nova of Progression is now the name of a canonical Alchemical Exalt.]]

* SerialEscalation: What incredibly strange things can a stick figure do? How strange can the weapons get? How ''cute'' and '''adorable''' can Secret be? Or Misho? How much can this comic outclass ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' in fight scenes? And what new bizarre-yet-awesome [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot character type combinations]] [[hottip:* : Mexican mummy/sorcerer wielding soul-encrusted chainsaw katars, A blind MusicalAssassin rockstar, A pheromone-emitting hippy android, a cyborg bandito/raptor transformer, a five-armed patchwork giant drummer, a shape-shifting cowboy martial artist...]] can Jukashi think up?

* RavenHairIvorySkin: Secret.

** [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0323.html This comic]]. Don't get the reference? Here's your hint: [[Literature/TheHobbit It's written in Moon Runes on Thror's map]]. Also counts as a TakeThat against a common fantasy trope.

* OneHundredAndEight: [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0108.html Turns out to be quite the lucky number]].

* BigBadEvilGuy: The First and Forsaken Lion. As a nine-foot tall man wearing armour forged from souls and hellbent on [[OmnicidalManiac killing everything ever]][[hottip:*:Technically, he 'only' wants to kill the Neverborn. Everyone else is just collateral damage...]], he's one of the more literal examples of this trope. It's worth noting that this is rather pointedly spot-on to his portrayal in the game's canon.

'''Marena''': Are you ''sure'' you're sane?

* TalkingWeapon: Unlike most soulsteel, Secret's shapeshifting sword/bow/belt Cluivnarihe can speak coherently, shows no sign whatsoever of suffering from having been soulforged, and is bully who mocks Secret when nobody else is around.

* AsideGlance: Several, but one of the best examples is when TheDragon tells the local FourthWallObserver / [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]] (who has just been OutGambitted) to "[[EvilGloating indulge a little]]," since no one's around. TheChessmaster [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0269.html looks right at the audience, smiles, and says]] "[[AllAccordingToPlan Just as planned]]."

** [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0204.html A very short (and clean) excerpt of another story appears in the comic]], presented as if Marena is writing it herself. [[ShowWithinAShow Self-insert fiction]] or memoirs? With [[LoveableSexManiac Marena]], who knows...

** [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0323.html This comic]]. Don't get the reference? Here's your hint: [[TheHobbit It's written in Moon Runes on Thror's map]]. Also counts as a TakeThat against a common fantasy trope.

'''Ten Winds:''' No, he doesn't do that anymore.

''[[http://keychain.patternspider.net/ Keychain of Creation]]'' was (see PaintingTheMedium, below) a StickFigureComic set in Creation, the world of the ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' roleplaying game. It follows the adventures of a quartet of Exalted as they quest to retrieve five magical keys that hold the evil Primordials sealed away: Misho, a Twilight Caste Solar, who has all of his Exaltation's memories dating back to the First Age, but no memory of his current mortal life, which can't ''possibly'' be suspicious; Marena, a Changing Moon Caste Lunar with a fox totem, a flirtatious, fun-loving, confident woman... who's quite possibly the most terrifying of the group; Secret, a renegade Day Caste Abyssal with some major self-esteem problems; and Ten Winds, an elderly Air Aspect Terrestrial, formerly a monk in the Immaculate Order, who left because he [[DefectorFromDecadence grew disillusioned with the Order]], and because he enjoyed the pleasures of the world a bit too much.

* [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0204.html A very short (and clean) excerpt of another story appears in the comic]], presented as if Marena is writing it herself. [[ShowWithinAShow Self-insert fiction]] or memoirs? With [[LoveableSexManiac Marena]], who knows...

** "'''''[[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0103.html Stop right there,]] [[TheElderScrollsFour criminal scum!]]''''' I mean, Fae."

** Partially subverted. The main method Sidereals have to gather information is the Loom of Fate, which tracks EVERYTHING (from individual grass blades, to terrestrial directions) inside fate...Abyssals, however, are outside fate, so she'd have no way of knowing that she wasn't a horrifying monster (Which a good chunk of Abyssals are)

:: It needs to be noted that this perfectly fits the portrayal of the Fair Folk in ''Exalted''. They live stories, and the more powerful ones '''are''' stories.

* GonnaNeedMoreTrope:

''[[http://keychain.patternspider.net/ Keychain of Creation]]'' was (see PaintingTheFourthWall, below) a StickFigureComic set in Creation, the world of the ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' roleplaying game. It follows the adventures of a quartet of Exalted as they quest to retrieve five magical keys that hold the evil Primordials sealed away: Misho, a Twilight Caste Solar, who has all of his Exaltation's memories dating back to the First Age, but no memory of his current mortal life, which can't ''possibly'' be suspicious; Marena, a Changing Moon Caste Lunar with a fox totem, a flirtatious, fun-loving, confident woman... who's quite possibly the most terrifying of the group; Secret, a renegade Day Caste Abyssal with some major self-esteem problems; and Ten Winds, an elderly Air Aspect Terrestrial, formerly a monk in the Immaculate Order, who left because he [[DefectorFromDecadence grew disillusioned with the Order]], and because he enjoyed the pleasures of the world a bit too much.

* PaintingTheFourthWall:

* XanatosGambit: The [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0005.html God of Locks pulls a pretty classic example]] -- the heroes killing him fulfils his plan just as much as if they'd left him to his own devices

-->'''Alchemical:''' You're blocking my smell with yours!? [[HowIsThatEvenPossible Th- that doesn't even make sense!]]

-->'''Alchemical:''' You're... you're blocking my smell with your own? [[HowIsThatEvenPossible Th- that doesn't make any sense!]]
-->'''Mareena:''' I'm Exalted! I just smell ''that good''.

''[[http://keychain.patternspider.net/ Keychain of Creation]]'' was (see PaintingTheFourthWall, below) a StickFigureComic set in Creation, the world of the ''{{TabletopGame/Exalted}}'' roleplaying game. It follows the adventures of a quartet of Exalted as they quest to retrieve five magical keys that hold the evil Primordials sealed away: Misho, a Twilight Caste Solar, who has all of his Exaltation's memories dating back to the First Age, but no memory of his current mortal life, which can't ''possibly'' be suspicious; Marena, a Changing Moon Caste Lunar with a fox totem, a flirtatious, fun-loving, confident woman... who's quite possibly the most terrifying of the group; Secret, a renegade Day Caste Abyssal with some major self-esteem problems; and Ten Winds, an elderly Air Aspect Terrestrial, formerly a monk in the Immaculate Order, who left because he [[DefectorFromDecadence grew disillusioned with the Order]], and because he enjoyed the pleasures of the world a bit too much.

GenreSavvy and awareness of game mechanics is universal, and a source of much of the humor. The art style and premise were inspired by the ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', but ''Keychain'' spends less time [[LampshadeHanging lampshading]] the conventions of the [=RPGs=] and fantasy stories and more time on the over-the-top action that made ''{{TabletopGame/Exalted}}'' famous.

Unfortunately, the webcomic is on hiatus as the author is recovering from tendonitis. Even so, he has been devoting the time he would have otherwise spent on the comic to writing homebrew material for the ''Exalted'' setting, which is worth a look at. It is currently not known when (or unfortunately "if") it will begin updating again, as tendonitis can take a long time to heal (and also has the possibility of turning chronic, hence the "if").

* BewareTheSuperman: Marena's justification for being a shamelessly flirty homewrecker is, well...[[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0092.html take a look for yourself.]] In the [[{{TabletopGame/Exalted}} source material]], this is an EnforcedTrope, as most Exalted are afflicted by the [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity Great Curse]], and those that aren't have [[WalkingWasteland other]] [[ContractualGenreBlindness problems]].

* HeroicBSOD: Misho in #220, [[spoiler:when faced with giving Ben the key and saving countless innocent lives (while simultaneously dooming all of Creation), or keeping it and effectively condemning them to death at the hands of countless undead troops.]] This is an actual rule in ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' -- what you see is the [[spoiler:Heart of Tears]] Limit Break, where a Compassionate Solar becomes literally [[spoiler:[[AngstComa catatonic]] with indecision and guilt over every decision he's made.]]

* LovingAShadow: [[spoiler: Marena won't entertain the notion of getting serious with Misho until she's sure he's seeing her as she is now, not as she was in the First Age.]]

** The Fae and the Sidereals. Nemen Yi uses this to her advantage in combat: [[PanelBreak leaping from one panel to another, abusing perspective to hit multiple targets with a single slash]], and ''[[PanelBreak breaking off one of the comic's gutters and throwing it at Ben]]''. Then reaching across panels to smack the heads of two enemies together, and then throwing one of them across panel lines into another. As you can expect, this is a CrowningMomentOfAwesome.[[hottip:*: Also note that such Sidereal Shenanigans are not exaggerations. Their martial arts allow, among other things, retconning your position in the battlefield...]]

** Resonance Ben is a wonderful character with lots of depth and some truly amazing moments. However, anyone who attempts to create a character in a real-life ''Exalted'' game who does ''anything'' like what Ben does with Resonance should be shot, as the whole point of Resonance is to penalize the Abyssal for defying the rules of their masters.

** Secret appears to have optimized herself for Dodge charms. Because they solve everything.

** Marena using (indeed, abusing/stunting) a shapeshifting knack to change clothes, complete with a naked transformation scene. In public.
* NameThatUnfoldsLikeLotusBlossom: But of course. The Conductor of the Cacophonic Steel Chorus, Fifth Man Born In Readiness, Elegant Nova of Progression... you get the idea.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Exalted tend to have these sorts of names as a general rule. Specific mentions include the King of Uncloaked Steel, First and Forsaken Lion, Misho Thrice-Radiant. Secret's would be, if she could say it all in one breath.

* NinjaPirateZombieRobot: In the inimitable ''{{TabletopGame/Exalted}}'' tradition.
* NinjaProp: Nemen Yi uses the page dividers (gutters) as a throwing weapon.
* NoFourthWall: While the main characters have occasionally spoken of being in a comic, the Fae take this trope all the way. This complies with the source material, as it's actually a power of the Fae to do so according to their rulebook, ''Graceful Wicked Masques.''

* NoodleIncident: "...We're going to need more coconuts." "No, he doesn't do that anymore."

* OddJobGods: comes with the territory of being set in the ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' 'verse. Examples so far include Kuka-Rem, god of political manipulation, and Costora, god of the beach.

* OneWingedAngel: Would you settle for a nearly-defeated [[spoiler:Nova]] turning into a [[spoiler:thirty-foot-tall robotic sphinx?]]

* PassThePopcorn: The leader of the GenreSavvy Fae that attack the group does this in the middle of battle [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0101.html here]].

* PurelyAestheticGender: Averted when Marena attempts to [[SmellsSexy use a pheromonal Charm]] against a man who happens to be gay. [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption And currently transformed into a genderless form anyway]].

* RidiculouslyHumanRobot: Elegant Nova of Progression and her fellow Alchemical Exalted are all examples. To be fair, the Alchemical Exalted have human souls, like their fellow Exalted, and are closer to being cyborgs than true robots due to their artificial flesh. And at higher Essence levels, they're the foundation and central part of entire ''cities''.\\

* RPGMechanicsVerse: With ''{{TabletopGame/Exalted}}'' being the RPG.
* RuleOfCool: As with ''{{TabletopGame/Exalted}}'', a lot of things are handwaved with "We're Exalted! We're just that awesome!"
-->'''Alchemical:''' You're... you're blocking my smell with your own? Th- that doesn't make any sense!

* SaveTheVillain: Misho does this to [[spoiler: Nova.]] And ''it worked'', despite [[spoiler:Nova not being in much actual danger.]]

* SealedEvilInACan: The Yozis, and the five keys are the can openers.

* SherlockScan: Marena is able to undermine two [[TheFairFolk fae]] and a [[CrazyAwesome Sidereal]] just by making deductions about their motivations.

* ShirtlessScene: Misho twice, Ten (Lampshaded in the title), Marena ([[GenderBender In both genders]]), Ben.

* ShoutOut:

** The comic also features cameos of characters from a spiritual predecessor comic, ''The Freedom Stone'', located on the Exalted forum.

* SmallGirlBigGun: Parodied. One of the Exalted who shows up for the TerribleIntervieweesMontage is one of these, and manages to put someone's eye out with her massively oversized essence cannon.

* SurferDude: Costora.

* TakeAThirdOption: The situation Secret has finally found herself in. Does she embrace her new existence as a Death Knight, and work towards the death of all Creation? Does she run from her responsibilities forever? Or [[spoiler:does she seek redemption and attempt to become a Solar]]?

* TheWatson: Secret occupies this role frequently; as the least experienced Exalted present, her ignorance of the mechanics of the universe provides lots of opportunities for the other characters to be MrExposition, mostly Misho.

** Marena later calls Misho out when he [[spoiler:uses necromancy to summon Secret's father from the Underworld, as a trial she must overcome prior to learning sorcery]]. He doesn't seem to disagree. (Ironically, Summon Ghost has now been printed as a Sorcery spell, so he didn't even need Necromancy to do that.)

* AskAStupidQuestion: [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0334.png Here's your sign, Secret.]]

* FingerPokeOfDoom: [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0336.png Secret vs. pig.]]

* AskAStupidQuestion: [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/comics/koc0334.png Here's your sign, Secret.]]

* FingerPokeOfDoom: [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/comics/koc0336.png Secret vs. pig.]]

* AnythingThatMoves: Marena.
--> [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0185.html Let me see, how many... How many people... ...Define "people."

* SortingAlgorithmOfEvil: Ben and Flame are pretty much at the bottom of The First And Forsaken Lion's chain of command: Ben's department is Morale, since he's a musician, and Flame's is Recruitment, since he summons the undead. Neither of these ''requires'' any actual combat skills, implying that they weren't recruited for their combat prowess, but rather for their abilities in those areas instead. Which may give you an idea of just how powerful the guys at the top of the chain are (since Ben and Flame, two of their "weakest" members, are incredibly powerful). Especially the heads of "Equipment" and "Guerilla," who were sent off to go and do some serious ass-kicking to The First And Forsaken Lion's enemies. Remember, equipment includes weaponry... like giant essence cannons.

* ArrowCatch: [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0366.html here]], by Ten Winds.

* BeatPanel: easier to list all the strips that have a joke but don't have a beat panel, really.

* BilingualBonus: Those hieroglyphs are not made up on the spot. It's correct Old Realm, and you can translate everything... into roughly phonetic English. Two out of three ain't bad.

-->"If we hadn't come to fight you, there'd be no reason to have us in this comic. And then we wouldn't exist."\\
\\
It needs to be noted that this perfectly fits the portrayal of the Fair Folk in ''Exalted''. They live stories, and the more powerful ones '''are''' stories.

** Interestingly enough, [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0108.html Ten Winds has it too]] -- the only "lucky number" here is the comic number. Fertiliser for EpilepticTrees right there...

** [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0204.html A very short (and clean) excerpt of another story appears in the comic]], presented as if Marena is writing it herself. [[ShowWithinAShow Self-insert fiction]] or memoirs? With [[LoveableSexManiac Marena]], who knows...

*** And possibly also a shout-out to ''{{Megatokyo}}'', [[http://megatokyo.com/strip/377 which used a similar gag]].

'''Mew Cai''': Aharr yarr yo ho, scurvy dog bilges.\\