History YMMV / Drowtales

* AlasPoorVillain: For all the horrible, awful things [[spoiler: Kalki]] has done, and even though she got very little sympathy for [[spoiler: having her arm torn off to replace Ariel's]], it's still hard not to feel sorry for her when [[spoiler: a completely fed up Snadhya murders her horribly via summon]]. The fact that she says ''"Mom?"'' in disbelief as she's left to her fate, along with the confirmation that Snadhya has ''never'' seen her as anything other than a tool, let alone a child, only makes it more tragic. Especially considering that [[spoiler: Snadhya's "parenting"]] is a major reason why [[spoiler: Kalki]] turned out the way she did.

* MagnificentBitch - Snadhya'rune, who so far takes the cake in manipulation. Though with recent revelations [[spoiler:Sha'sana]] may take the crown from her.

*** That said, some of the FanDumb towards Ariel can be... well, dumb. For instance, blaming her for not knowing things [[DramaticIrony that the audience only knows about due to being on the other side of the fourth wall]] and acting like not ''immediately'' accepting such a life-altering, shocking revelation as [[spoiler:finding out that your mother isn't really your mother]] without a hint of hesitation or doubt is proof that she's mentally retarded, and acting like they ''wouldn't'' be just a little doubtful if such a revelation was dropped on their lap (from their perspective) out of the blue and they were forced to make a life-altering choice ''right then and there''. Yeah, right. Especially when the last person who tried to make the same claim ''attempted to murder you''. '''Twice'''.

* MarySue - Pre-remake Ariel suffered heavily from this due to being the central character in a ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' game. This was mostly fixed as the world setting changed, downplaying her specialness.
** Arguably, compared to the other races of the world, Drow themselves.

* TakeThatScrappy: Considering how divided the fandom can be, it says a lot that everyone cheered when [[spoiler:Nihi'liir]] [[OffWithHisHead lost her head]].

* PacingProblems: Drowtales is generally focused on story and characters more than action. However, people being people, the choices of the creative team in how to tell the story fairly regularly end up in TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot, SlowPacedBeginning, OffscreenMomentOfAwesome, BattleDiscretionShot, a kind of RelaxOVision, TheyPlottedAPerfectlyGoodWaste, or TakeOurWordForIt. Or GushingAboutWritingYouLike. The creative team has acknowledged some of these problems, have been attempting to fix some of them with newer chapters and it seems that it's working.

* BaseBreaker: Given the GreyAndGrayMorality of the setting, this was perhaps inevitable, but there are a few things in particular that divide the fanbase:

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Many fans are rightfully annoyed whenever Ariel yells at Mel'arnach. However, keep in mind that Mel'arnach freedom was bought by Ariel earning a favor from Quain'tana, which is no easy task, to say the least. How does Mel'arnach respond? By going out of her way to insult and provoke Quain'tana at every opportunity, badmouthing the Il'haress to anyone and everyone, which is basically throwing Ariel's gift back in her face, and basically condemning Ariel for being a loyal soldier to the clan, as opposed to being Mel's doting, unwavering pet/tool, and worshiping at the feet of Snad, the DevilInPlainSight. It's quite possible that Ariel's rocky relationship with her birth-mother is simply the result of AngerBornOfWorry twisting into something else due to Mel's own SelectiveObliviousness, which Ariel [[JerkassHasAPoint has pointed out more than once.]]

* BaseBreaker: Given the GreyAndGreyMorality of the setting, this was perhaps inevitable, but there are a few things in particular that divide the fanbase:

* AlasPoorVillain: For all the horrible, awful things [[spoiler: Kalki]] has done, and even though she got very little sympathy for [[spoiler: having her arm torn off to replace Ariel's,]] it's still hard not to feel sorry for her when [[spoiler: a completely fed up Snadhya murders her horribly via summon]]. The fact that she says ''"Mom?"'' in disbelief as she's left to her fate, along with the confirmation that Snadhya has ''never'' seen her as anything other than a tool, let alone a child, only makes it more tragic. Especially considering that [[spoiler: Snadhya's "parenting"]] is a major reason why [[spoiler: Kalki]] turned out the way she did.
* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Many fans are rightfully annoyed whenever Ariel yells at Mel'arnach. However, keep in mind that Mel'arnach freedom was bought by Ariel earning a favor from Quain'tana, which is no easy task, to say the least. How does Mel'arnach respond? By going out of her way to insult and provoke Quain'tana at every opportunity, badmouthing the Il'haress to anyone and everyone, which is basically throwing Ariel's gift back in her face, and basically condemning Ariel for being a loyal soldier to the clan, as opposed to being Mel's doting, unwavering pet/tool, and worshiping at the feet of Snad, the DevilInPlainSight. It's quite possible that Ariel's rocky relationship with her birth-mother is simply the result of AngerBornOfWorry twisting into something else due to Mel's own SelectiveObliviousness, which Ariel [[JerkassHasAPoint has pointed out more than once.]]

* IKnewIt: The theory that [[spoiler:Drowussu are descended from light-elves]] though this had been foreshadowed fairly heavily.

* JerkassWoobie - Most [[TheWoobie Woobies]] count as this (with a few exceptions, including [[PowerIncontinence Faen]]). In particular:

* MemeticMutation - There is a minor one in the forums of Drowtales where Kern is portrayed as somebody who enjoys feeding on angst, despair and anger because of how often the fans' favourites suffer and reacting with the above mentioned emotions. Comparisons to GeorgeRRMartin are inevitable.

** Also a minor one with the second panel [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8787 this page]], where due to the placement of the speech bubble it looks like the dragon is talking. Jokes about the talking dragon persisted for several days after on the forum.

* MemeticBadass: The fans have turned Quain'tana into this. ChuckNorris fears [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1232 Quain's abs.]]

* CrowningMomentOfFunny: - [[{{Funny/Drowtales}} Many]], and the chibi pages in particular tend to be full of them.
* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming - Courtesy of Ariel and Faen, Mel, and Vaelia, also Kiel and Naal. Any moment where two characters are shown to truly care for one another.
* DarknessInducedAudienceApathy - While Drow society does operate on a different moral wavelength from humans, slavery is still tolerated by almost everyone, everyone is a huge racist (or speciesist more accurately), and if female - a misandrist to boot with few exceptions, and their culture is plagued by violence and self-centered debauchery. Several readers have expressed the thought that most characters could die and they wouldn't be that bothered by it or that the setting's degenerate society could collapse and they wouldn't mind either in the sense that whatever replaces it can't be any worse.
* DesignatedVillain - Syphile fits this, much to many fans' ire since it turns out she's right about a lot of things.
* DesignatedHero - To prevent this page from devolving into Administrivia/{{natter}} (again) let's just say the fanbase is extremely vocal about everything in regards to morality within the Drow world.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment - [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10155 This]] chibi page, published as filler while the chapter was being put up, becomes a lot less funny since at the end of the chapter [[spoiler:Snadhya basically "voids the warranty" on Kalki by brutally killing her]].
* GrowingTheBeard - Though opinion varies on when exactly this happened, the release of the Prologue in 2007 marked a major shift in the comic's story and set up much of the overarching plot and worldsetting, as well as demonstrating the high quality of the art delivered consistently since it was first published.
* HarsherInHindsight - The entire series thus far is falling to this, due to recent revelations that [[spoiler: ''every'' tainted character except for a select few are ''doomed'' in 25-50 years.]]
* IKnewIt - The theory that [[spoiler:Drowussu are descended from light-elves]] though this had been foreshadowed fairly heavily.

** Syphile Val'Sarghress may be a bitch, but her life ''sucks''

* MemeticBadass - The fans have turned Quain'tana into this. ChuckNorris fears [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1232 Quain's abs.]]

* MemeticMolester - Farasank. Not surprising since his ''canon'' behavior is that of a sex offender.

** Ariel herself
** Faen too, especially after her bout of BreakTheCutie
** Myou Kyorl'solenurn
** Freyja
** Desmonde Kyorl'solenurn
** Ae'theriss Kyorl'solenurn

* {{Evil Is Sexy}} - By virtue of [[GreyAndGreyMorality the world they live in]] a good amount of the cast arguably applies. Perhaps the best example is that of the Sharen Sisters, particularly Zala.

* NarmCharm - The chibi parody pages frequently include this.
* NauseaFuel - The BodyHorror often involves this, especially the various ways that demons mutate their victims.

* PacingProblems - Drowtales is generally focused on story and characters more than action. However, people being people, the choices of the creative team in how to tell the story fairly regularly end up in TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot, GetOnWithItAlready, OffscreenMomentOfAwesome, BattleDiscretionShot, a kind of RelaxOVision, TheyPlottedAPerfectlyGoodWaste, or TakeOurWordForIt. Or GushingAboutWritingYouLike. The creative team has acknowledged some of these problems, have been attempting to fix some of them with newer chapters and it seems that it's working.

* TheScrappy - Several.

* {{Squick}} - Drow in this series are [[ImAHumanitarian cannibalistic]] (though they eat other races too) and lean heavily toward incest and pedophilia. And they were even worse pre-retcon, as demonstrated by the bottom of the page [[http://www.drowtales.com/worldsettingarchive.php?order=chapters&id=15 here]].
* SuperpowerLottery - The fae, especially the drowolath/drowussu/vanir (light elves). Drowtales is not a setting that is aimed to be balanced in terms of power between factions and species. Period. The humanoid fae are not only dominant in terms of power compared to other species who can't use mana, they are also unbalanced (in terms of gaming) within their own species. It is mentioned in the [[http://www.drowtales.com/wordpress/?p=854 immortality podcast]] that very old dokkalfar or drow can reach a point where they are so powerful that they could wipe out a small army (drow size army, granted) of 'normal'/young (60-200 y.o.) fae. Waes'oloth, the Beldrobbaen Ill'haress is the example used. By that time their aura has grown so huge/dense that they need a whole clan or even city to sustain their bodies in a prime condition. This is why Diva's 'ordinary' mana blast blew a mutlistory building down. Within the city of Chel she had sufficient mana to fuel her attacks to nearly godlike power levels. This disparity in power, both in relation to other species and within their own species, is what makes the fae dominant. Only their comparative absence from the surface for a millenia has allowed the goblin races (halmes, kotorcs, ferals, naga) to become dominant there. A dominance that can be wiped away if the fae (drow or vanir in this case) makes a concentrated effort to do so. (Luckily for the goblins, so far they seem to prefer trade and limited raids.) It is not balanced, it is not fair and it might rub people the wrong way but it is the ''fait accompli'' in the Drowtales setting.

* TakeThatScrappy - Considering how divided the fandom can be, it says a lot that everyone cheered when [[spoiler:Nihi'liir]] [[OffWithHisHead lost her head]].

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter - How some fans felt about [[spoiler: Sandaur]].
* TooCoolToLive - Alas, poor [[spoiler:Sandaur]], WeHardlyKnewYe.
* {{Shipping}} - Ariel & Faen and Naal & Kiel are both very popular fan couples, though three characters are chronologically in their 20s but have the bodies of pre pubescents and Ariel is 15 but physically 7, until after the time-skip where they're all young adults.
** ToyShip - There's also Ariel/[[spoiler:Sillice's twins Kau and Shala]], which despite the fact that [[spoiler:they're technically related through adoption with their father Kor'maril]] hasn't stopped anybody. [[TwinThreesomeFantasy I wonder why]].
* UncannyValley - [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8391 This]] naga lady, who looks normal from the front, but when she turns is revealed to have a flat face, like a snake.

* UnintentionallySympathetic - Syphile, combined with MisaimedFandom.
* ValuesDissonance - It's a casual fact that slavery is common in the drow world, and along with owning slaves several characters are slaves themselves. This has occasionally lead to fighting in the roleplays when some people want to free the slaves and take a modern perspective.

* ViewerGenderConfusion - Given that many members of the cast are either muscular female warriors or feminine men in largely similar armor and that drow gender roles invert human ones this was perhaps inevitable, but here are some examples:

* WhatAnIdiot - Six words: Syphile. Sneak attack. ''[[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1010&overview=1&chibi=1&cover=1&extra=1&page=1&check=1 Doing it wrong]]''. Could also be interpreted as HonorBeforeReason if one is charitable.

** Another point the forum disagree on is whether her [[spoiler: possession of Ragini]] can be justified or not. Many who think this event to be a MoralEventHorizon for her discount the fact that she obviously did not take the decision lightly and gave [[spoiler: Ragini]] her freedom beforehand. Others who see the event as justified tend to dismiss [[spoiler: Ragini]] because she was a slave and supposedly unimportant to the story on the whole.
** Snadhya'rune causes this as well. See also DracoInLeatherPants for one reason, and a major topic of debate is whether [[spoiler:she really loves Mel]] with both sides of the debate having long lists of why their theory is correct and the other side is full of it.
** Tur’geis and Sorin, two cameo characters in chapter 40. The actions of their characters (insisting he had the right to take loot and slaves and killing a civilian against orders, respectively) sparked a rather lengthy forum argument spanning several days that really boiled down to 'Old Sarghress ways', to 'New Sarghress ways'[[note]]For the record, both Tur'geis' and Sorin's players thought they were behaving perfectly in character[[/note]]. When the forum mod Suntiger and [[WordOfGod Kern]] step in to sort things out you know it's been heated.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Many fans are rightfully annoyed whenever Ariel yells at Mel'arnach. However, keep in mind that Mel'arnach freedom was bought by Ariel earning a favor from Quain'tana, which anyone is no easy task, to say the least. How does Mel'arnach respond? By going out of her way to insult and provoke Quain'tana at every opportunity, badmouthing the Il'haress to anyone and everyone, which is basically throwing Ariel's gift back in her face, and basically condemning Ariel for being a loyal soldier to the clan, as opposed to being Mel's doting, unwavering pet/tool, and worshiping at the feet of Snad, the DevilInPlainSight. It's quite possible that Ariel's rocky relationship with her birth-mother is simply the result of AngerBornOfWorry twisting into something else due to Mel's own SelectiveObliviousness, which Ariel [[JerkassHasAPoint has pointed out more than once.]]

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Many fans are rightfully annoyed whenever Ariel yells at Mel'arnach. However, keep in mind that Mel'narch's freedom was bought by Ariel earning a favor from Quain'tana, which anyone with a brain is likely to realize is no easy task. How does Mel'narch respond? By going out of her way to insult and provoke Quain'tana at every opportunity, badmouthing the Ilharess to anyone and everyone, which is basically throwing Ariel's gift back in her face and spitting on it, and basically condemning Ariel for being a loyal soldier to the clan, as opposed to being Mel's doting, unwavering pet/tool, and worshiping at the feet of Snad, the DevilInPlainSight. It's quite possible that Ariel's rocky relationship with her birth-mother is simply the result of AngerBornOfWorry twisting into something else due to Mel's own SelectiveObliviousness, which Ariel [[JerkassHasAPoint has pointed out more than once.]]
* AngstWhatAngst - Khal'harror is surprisingly perky for a member of his clan, and some fans were angered by his apparent lack of reaction to [[spoiler:Naal's death]], where he seemed more concerned about having lost Bob, the undead chicken. There is, however, a level of FridgeBrilliance to his behavior, since he already lost [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=3134 many members of his clan]] at once and the same incident left his sister forcibly tainted [[spoiler:and later gets taken over by her seed]] as well as see his clan's power decline as many members simply gave up hope, so his attitude may in fact be a front and his lack of reaction to [[spoiler:Naal's death]] may be simple denial.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Many fans are rightfully annoyed whenever Ariel yells at Mel'narch. However, keep in mind that Mel'narch's freedom was bought by Ariel earning a favor from Quain'tana, which anyone with a brain is likely to realize is no easy task. How does Mel'narch respond? By going out of her way to insult and provoke Quain'tana at every opportunity, badmouthing the Ilharess to anyone and everyone, which is basically throwing Ariel's gift back in her face and spitting on it, and basically condemning Ariel for being a loyal soldier to the clan, as opposed to being Mel's doting, unwavering pet/tool, and worshiping at the feet of Snad, the DevilInPlainSight. It's quite possible that Ariel's rocky relationship with her birth-mother is simply the result of AngerBornOfWorry twisting into something else due to Mel's own SelectiveObliviousness, which Ariel [[JerkassHasAPoint has pointed out more than once.]]

* MarySue - Pre-remake Ariel suffered heavily from this due to being the central character in a DungeonsAndDragons game. This was mostly fixed as the world setting changed, downplaying her specialness.

EightDeadlyWords: A sentiment expressed by some readers.

* EightDeadlyWords: A sentiment expressed by some readers.

*** At the end of the above chapter, it made many readers agree that [[spoiler:Snadhy'rune has outdone even Quain'tana on being an AbusiveParent by telling her own daughter she only saw her as a tool and then killing her in cold blood without any regrets]]

** [[TheChessMaster Snadhya'rune]] of the Sharen is steadily revealed as the closest thing the series has to a BigBad. Snadhya masterminds the rise of the Nidraa'chal, a terrorist faction that specifically makes a focus on targeting civilians, in order to throw the city of Chel into chaos. Snadhya also masterminds the murder of her mother in order to seize more power, using her daughter Kalki as the Nidraa'chal's proxy leader to keep herself out of the spotlight. Snadhya is also a sexual predator at Orthobbae, the school she runs and also where she recruited many of the Nidraa'chal's members by seduction, including her longtime lover Mel'arnach. Snadhya uses Mel as a tool and sends Mel back to her [[AbusiveParents controlling and brutal mother Quain'tana Val'Sarghress ]],who breaks Mel's arms and holds her captive for 15 years. When Snadhya has several Sarghress captives, she toys with them before {{sadist}}ically executing them to show off her new airship. Then when Kalki defies an order from Snadhya for the second time, Snadhya coldly informs her that she [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness has run out of chances]] and has her killed by her summons without any emotion whatsoever.

** Sene'kha is also one of the few characters almost universally agreed to be one of these. Her [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=801 plan]] to take over Chel puts her here, if nothing else, as did the fact that she turned the Vloz from a weird but harmless RagtagBunchOfMisfits into a clan of backstabbers and schemers by setting up Kiel's mother for death and using Kharla, who had been getting better, for her own purposes and planning on turning her into even more of an EldritchAbomination.