| 1 | [[quoteright:305:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/61de4b7b_ed86_40ce_8247_e3a8a2358c67.png]] |
| 2 | [[caption-width-right:306:It's a bit of a long, complicated story. (and this isn't even [[LongRunner halfway through!]]) [[note]]Clockwise from the top left (colored): prince Paollo, Raven, captain Snow, Riley, The Shadowmandyr Queen/possessed Simon, Blitz, Dragonfly, a scraptor, Tuff and the Listing of Names. And at the bottom (monochrome) from left to right: Blitz, Credenza, Tuff, Queen Deliza, Riley, King Mikel.[[/note]] ]] |
| 3 | |
| 4 | A webcomic by H. L. De Vera. |
| 5 | |
| 6 | Credenza, an ordinary waitress, taking a walk on the shores of Ruin Island finds a badly wounded man. With Credenza's help, he manages to recover from the brink of death. The only problem? The man's mind has been shattered; gone are his sanity and memories, even his name. Credenza gives him a new one, Blitz, earning his UndyingLoyalty. Follow Credenza, Blitz and their friends as they become entangled in a colossal battle between good and evil, journey to new parts of the [[TitleDrop Archipelago]], and learn much more about themselves than they could've bargained for. |
| 7 | |
| 8 | The comic began on September 30th 2005, and concluded on February 3rd, 2017. |
| 9 | |
| 10 | It used to be published on Smackjeeves before the site suddenly imploded. The comic (and some extras) can be found at the creator's '''[[http://thesilvertophat.deviantart.com/ deviantART page]]''' (although with seemingly random pages marked as "mature" and needing a log-in to see). Now also available in its entirety on ''Platform/{{Webtoon}}'' [[https://www.webtoons.com/en/canvas/archipelago/list?title_no=835044 here]]. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | The Author had mentioned a potential spin-off/follow-up that would take place in the same universe, and then on March 2nd 2017 she announced that the upcoming project will be called "[[http://thesilvertophat.deviantart.com/art/Paollo-of-Somnus-666827669 City of Somnus]]". The first page of it was published on Deviantart on August 2nd 2017. You can read the trope page here: ''Webcomic/CityOfSomnus''. |
| 13 | |
| 14 | %% With the closure of Smackjeeves, many links may be defunct. PLEASE COMMENT THEM OUT WITHOUT DELETING THEM, as they contain valuable info for ''fixing'' the links. |
| 15 | ---- |
| 16 | !!Provides examples of: |
| 17 | * AbsentMindedProfessor: Holly Path, a seranith scientist with [[PlayedForDrama serious and concerning holes in her memory]] that make her an easy target for Snow's machinations. |
| 18 | * AccidentalKiss: Willium and Nim, when introduced in book 3, immediately begin [[BelligerentSexualTension arguing, then fighting]], then tumble downhill in such a way that they end on top of each other. Kissing. Then they both [[CrushBlush blush]], [[HeldGaze looking at each other]], until Credenza and Simon [[MomentKiller interrupt]]. |
| 19 | * AerithAndBob: Being a FantasyKitchenSink somewhat, the human and beastmen denizens of the Archipelago have names ranging from Anthony to Zatachi. The seranith follow their own convention, with names composed from a name of an animal for males or plant for females and a seemingly random noun (or two), like Tin-Can Turtle or Azalea Trigger (AllThereInTheManual reveals these are actually translations of NameThatUnfoldsLikeLotusBlossom from their own language). |
| 20 | * AfterTheEnd: |
| 21 | ** The backstory, involving a fallen ([[ColonyDrop in every sense of the word]]), {{Magitek}} civilization that built machines like Snow's arm, guns, the submarines, [[spoiler:the dragon-ship that Archipelago is built upon, which the Great Raven, Dragonfly and four other {{Magitek}} A.I.s ran]], and others. They also genetically engineered the various beastmen and were-animals that inhabit the Archipelago. The modern Archipelago runs on their tech (a lot of which is now treated as [[MagicFromTechnology magic]]) and duct tape. |
| 22 | ** Hints are dropped that this may be a far-future or alternate Earth, given that the common language is descended from English (retaining the name, but about as intelligible to modern English speakers as modern English would be to Old English) and characters have read aloud from real written works. In addition, WordOfGod states that religions such as Christianity and Buddhism still exist in some form. |
| 23 | * AIIsACrapshoot: The Great Raven deciding that his purpose as an anti-virus also means [[KillAllHumans killing pretty much everyone]] is the whole reason we have a plot to begin with. |
| 24 | * AllJustADream: |
| 25 | ** During a session of psychological torment, Captain Snow attempts to convince Credenza that [[spoiler:''the entire story'']] was this. [[spoiler:[[ChekhovsGunman Paollo]] reminds her otherwise]]. |
| 26 | ** Later, in the Maze of Dreams, [[spoiler: [[TheFinalTemptation Raven's]] starts with him waking up, confused, in an unfamiliar room, Credenza in bed with him. He "remembers" he's just a humble engineer and tells his wife that strange dream he had, with islands and dragons and something being wrong with his arm...]] |
| 27 | * AllLoveIsUnrequited: Amongst the villain camp. [[TrappedInVillainy Knull]] and [[StalkerWithACrush Han]] both have a thing for Lucinda, who can't reciprocate as she [[EmotionlessGirl traded away her emotions]] after having her heart broken by a man ([[spoiler:who, in an odd twist, [[VoluntaryShapeshifting was also Han]]]]). She does treat Knull quite kindly, in a somewhat detached way. |
| 28 | * AllThereInTheManual: The cast page explains a number of details about the characters' backgrounds and abilities that don't get a lot of attention in the story. TheRant underneath certain strips also give some insight into the creation of individual characters or elements of the Archipelago world, such as information about the inner workings of magic. After the comic finished, this kind of information can be found in author's Tumblr and Deviantart. |
| 29 | * AllYourPowersCombined: The gauntlet Dragonfly used to seal the Great Raven has a connection to and draws power from the souls of the six heirs. Problem is, the Great Raven got his spiritual hands on it and given it to [[DragonInChief Snow]], giving him all the heirs' magical abilities. |
| 30 | * AlmostKiss: Happens several times, like when Tuff and Cassie are excited over breaking the code or when Credenza and Raven are interrupted just after a reassuring speech from her. |
| 31 | * AlwaysChaoticEvil: Raven spirits and shadowmandyrs. [[spoiler:Subverted in both cases for those released from control of the Great Raven and the Shadowmandyr Queen, respectively. Blitz's Raven goes on to become a heroic, if cranky, person of his own, while the shadowmandyrs are pretty much animals under their Queen's control and eventually jump ship to Simon once she's dead.]] |
| 32 | * AlwaysSaveTheGirl: |
| 33 | ** Raven's attitude towards Credenza, beginning pretty early on. When she goes missing in book 5, for example: |
| 34 | --->'''Raven:''' Forget the heirs. Forget the Raven. Until we find Crendenza, nothing else matters. |
| 35 | ** Indeed, Raven's test of having matured into a proper KnightInSourArmor is [[spoiler: TheFinalTemptation he undergoes in the Maze of Dreams, where he has to choose keeping faith to Credenza's ideals over actually being with her (or an illusion of her)]]. |
| 36 | * AmuletOfConcentratedAwesome: |
| 37 | ** The Soul Key necklace Credenza is given back in book 2. It [[AmplifierArtifact unlocks her magic]], detects evil magic, and fixes broken hearts. |
| 38 | ** Vaniji's cane, in which he has invested and concentrated his powers, [[spoiler:to the point that it becomes an AmuletOfDependency, as Vaniji has left nothing inside himself. Naturally, it's by breaking it he's depowered and pretty much defeated]]. |
| 39 | * AnArmAndALeg: |
| 40 | ** Inverted with Raven, a spirit who gains a body (minus one arm) by becoming human (triggered by magic overflow). |
| 41 | ** Captain Snow keeps losing pieces of himself, but his {{Magitek}} [[ArtificialLimbs arm]] keeps replacing what he loses. By the end of the story, he's almost completely mechanical. |
| 42 | ** Anansi lost her arms [[spoiler: in the dream world]] as a young girl. |
| 43 | * AndIMustScream: Those possessed by a raven spirit who get captured or [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness are no longer useful]] may be soulsealed. They remain alive and aware, but cannot move or act in ''any'' way at all. [[spoiler:Raven attempted this on Anthony when he first possessed him, but Anthony [[EyeScream cut his own left eye out]] to block Raven's escape route, inadvertently breaking his own mind and [[TrappedInTheHost trapping Raven in it]].]] |
| 44 | * AngerBornOfWorry |
| 45 | ** Raven's standard way of expressing care. PlayedForLaughs when, after some frantic searching, he finds Credenza safe, sound and [[spoiler: being licked by Charlie. With lots and lots of drool (she uses the words "slobbered to death")]]. |
| 46 | --->'''Raven''': You know, finding you like this after experiencing two minutes of blinding terror, you'd think I'd be annoyed. But for now, all I am is relieved that you're alive. Still, you can't blame me if I find some enjoyment in letting you suffer just a little bit. |
| 47 | ** Paolin, when [[spoiler: reunited with Credenza after the final battle, gives her a dressing down and starts crying]]. |
| 48 | --->'''Paolin''': I'm not crying! [[SandInMyEyes This is liquid anger leaking out of my eyeballs]]! |
| 49 | ** ForeignLanguageTirade flavored when [[spoiler: Paollo's HonoraryUncle catches up with the heroes after the final battle]]. He first hugs him tight, then begins a long, long angry lecture in their native language. |
| 50 | * AnimalMotifs: Pretty much everyone is associated with some animal or other, most easily seen on their soul form. The BigGood is named Dragonfly (and TheHero, Credenza's, soul has dragonfly wings), and TheBigBad is Raven (called the Great Raven in the story to distinguish him from a [[MookFaceTurn defector from his ranks]] who joins the heroes and uses the name Raven). Snow's symbolised by a white lion in certain dreams. |
| 51 | %% * AntiHero: %%get rid of the entry? it's not specific |
| 52 | %% ** Based on what people who knew him say (and flashbacks), Anthony was one. %%why? |
| 53 | %% ** [[spoiler:Raven]] slides between the KnightInSourArmour and PragmaticHero sub-types. |
| 54 | * AntiMagic: Knull's gift, which wins the villains many battles. Probably the chief reason Snow didn't kill him along with the rest of his family; or maybe that was because he makes good tea. |
| 55 | * AnxietyDreams: There's a lot of dream sequences in this story, and while most are {{Flashback Nightmare}}s, two are notable for bringing to light the dreamers' deep-seated fears: |
| 56 | ** [[spoiler: Tuff's short dream when he's anxious about going to Quillotia. It has a red haze effect and [[IAmAMonster he's the monster]] stalking and attacking Credenza]] |
| 57 | ** [[spoiler: The first dream Raven has in his life. In it, he summons a raven spirit to interrogate it on why his [[DePower magic won't work anymore]] and the spirit begins [[TheReasonYouSuck belittling]] and tempting him, reminding Raven of Dragonfly's prophecy and picking his desires apart]]. |
| 58 | * ApologyGift: After their extremely awkward moment in book 7, Credenza gets Raven the dagger that becomes his most prized possession: |
| 59 | -->'''Credenza''': I had to find a way to make up for what I said. That's why I chose the symbol on the hilt.\ |
| 60 | '''Raven''': A frog? Do you associate slimy, water-dwelling creatures with me?\ |
| 61 | '''Credenza''': You're an amphibian. Like a frog, you were born as one thing and became another. You're a human now... even though I can be stupid and forget that sometimes. |
| 62 | * ArcNumber: Groups of six: |
| 63 | ** The original Six who [[SealedEvilInACan bound the Raven]]: [[DreamWalker Ausalius]], [[EyeBeams Little Twin Fish]], [[{{Sizeshifter}} Grom]] [[SuperStrength Pintur]], [[SoulPower Chalchiu]], [[{{Teleportation}} Icarus]], [[HealingHands Lady Itaria]] |
| 64 | ** Their descendants, the six Heirs to their powers: Paollo, Tin-Can Turtle, Alice Pintur, Kor Yander[[note]]real surname Huitzilopochtli, but he's illegitimate and an actor[[/note]], [[spoiler:Clair Solair, Uru Tan[[note]]real name Phulbirt Fairplay[[/note]]]] |
| 65 | ** The six [=AIs=] who [[spoiler:managed the Archipelago, before the GreatOffscreenWar and subsequent ColonyDrop]]: [[AnimalMotifs Dragonfly, Raven, Crane, Weasel, Tortoise, Hare]]. Only the first two have played any role in the story; the others' names and functions were revealed via FourthWallMailSlot. |
| 66 | %% it's obviously meant as a parting shot, but breaks nothing * ArmorPiercingQuestion: Shortly before breaking out of [[spoiler: [[LotusEaterMachine the Maze of Dreams]]]]: -->'''Raven:''' A beautiful wife, [[spoiler:a child on the way]], surrounded by supportive friends... [[spoiler:Whose fantasy is this, Snow? Mine -- or yours?]] |
| 67 | * ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: |
| 68 | ** Credenza would like for us to know that Captain Snow is a filthy coward, inexcusably evil, and poorly dressed. The last is probably the one thing that would actually insult Snow, since he considers himself a SharpDressedMan. |
| 69 | ** Tuff is AfraidToHoldTheBaby: |
| 70 | -->'''Tuff''': What if my teeth scare him? What if I drop him? What if he explodes?! |
| 71 | ** Credenza is awed to meet a LivingLegend: |
| 72 | -->'''Credenza''': Willium Drake? THE Drake? The man who slew the army of evil, rabid flamingoes? Willium Drake who wields the deck of magical playing cards? Willium Drake who sank his father's talking flying machine? |
| 73 | * ArtEvolution: ''Seriously''. Just compare Paollo when he's kidnapped and Paollo when the rescue comes. You're forgiven for not recognizing him at first. |
| 74 | * ArtificialLimb: Snow's {{Magitek}} arm (which gradually grows into a cyborg body because he keeps getting injured). In a way, also [[MasterOfThreads Anansi]], who uses scarves for arms, having lost her own. [[spoiler: In the {{denoument}}, Blitz is saved from being OnlyMostlyDead by the arm merging with him, creating a most steampunk dragon]]. |
| 75 | * ArtificialIntelligence: The setting is a MagicFromTechnology one. What the characters call "spirits", including all the ravens and Dragonfly, are actually [=AI=]s. The Listing of Names develops a spirit [[InstantAIJustAddWater spontaneously]] (unless that was exactly what Dragonfly intended). |
| 76 | * ArtShift: [[spoiler:The Maze of Dreams. Tatami's dream is rough and sketched, as he's hurrying to explain things to Credenza. Riley's and Tuff's have OrangeBlueContrast, the former is straight lines and angles, while the latter is smooth, rounded and pastel. Raven's dream is a realistic OutOfGenreExperience, until it falls apart and goes Picasso.]] |
| 77 | * ATasteOfTheLash: One of Snow's methods of keeping his slaves in line. [[spoiler: In one of Credenza's flashbacks, Uru took the flogging for her.]] |
| 78 | * ATeamMontage: Everybody working to repair [[spoiler: Benjamin's ship]] in book 9. |
| 79 | * AttentionDeficitOohShiny: |
| 80 | ** Blitz likes shinies. A lot. |
| 81 | ** [[invoked]] Prince Paollo, as well. He's easily distracted, according to WordOfGod, because he's always half-dreaming. |
| 82 | * AuthorAppeal: In the creator's own words, "In case you haven't realized, Archipelago is pretty much one big excuse for me to draw strange animals." |
| 83 | * AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: Clair, during her heated argument with Spindle, slips and falls down the well. After she's fished out, he frantically asks if she's all right, and after seeing that she is, he licks her face. |
| 84 | -->'''Spindle''': What, you thought I was worried about you?! I was just afraid your filthy old boots would poison the well! |
| 85 | * BadassBoast: |
| 86 | ** Raven... introducing himself to Syn in book 1, back when he was [[EvilIsHammy evil and hammy]]: |
| 87 | --->I am a part of the darkness! A piece of the nightmare! I am older than the ground you walk on, more powerful than the forces of nature that bind this world! I looked down from the stars and I cursed this world and all life on it! I made the great wheel of life turn backwards! No one can strike ME! I AM RAVEN! |
| 88 | ** Kor refusing to be intimidated by captain Snow's BreakingSpeech about how he's only a pawn: |
| 89 | -->'''Kor''': That sure is a strange thing to say, Captain, if you consider what pawns can do when they reach the other side of the board. |
| 90 | ** [[invoked]] Kor, a true Avian (according to the WordOfGod, they're ''fierce''): |
| 91 | -->'''Kor''': Fine, maybe those lines come from a play, a story. But it's in stories that good always triumphs over evil... and that the smallest hero can defeat the greatest of foes. This isn't the stage, and I'm no cunning, evil mastermind. But I AM an heir. You think we heirs are your victims? Guess again! We are your destruction! |
| 92 | * BadassNormal: Up until, roughly, the party in Quillotia [[spoiler: where she channels enough magic to create a storm]], Credenza didn't think of herself as a magic user, but still ran head first into adventure and trouble. Also, Snow had no real magical power of his own before getting resurrected by the Great Raven and given the {{Magitek}} arm, but was still one of the most feared men in the world. |
| 93 | %% move to character page * BadassPreacher: |
| 94 | * BallroomBlitz: In book 6, Snow and an army of Ravens attempt a hostile takeover of the Quillotia Castle while King Mikel is hosting a party to welcome home [[spoiler:his long-lost cousins, the Luck brothers.]] Most of the fighting occurs in the ballroom, which ends up in dire need of repairs. |
| 95 | * BarefootCaptives: Snow's slaves and prisoners, in {{flashback}}s and in present day. |
| 96 | * BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: In the finale, Credenza has to defeat Snow in the dreaming world, while her friends fight him in the physical world. The battle has two stages: |
| 97 | ** Maze of Dreams, an incredibly sloppy (according to the local expert) construction, where everyone but the heirs, Blitz and Credenza herself is trapped in their nightmares [[spoiler: except Raven, who gets TheFinalTemptation]]. The expert explains to her she only needs to wake the three key dreamers up and the whole sorry mess will fall apart, freeing everyone. It does, but Credenza's final battle against Snow is still ahead of her... |
| 98 | ** [[spoiler: Snow's own layered dream where the people murdered or hurt by him are represented by toys (she's a mangled ragdoll, Knull - a rag horse, her friends are clay soldiers) a child - Snow himself - is playing with. Simultaneously, Raven and the team are battling Snow in the waking world, and whoever gets hurt in one, gets hurt likewise in the other. After getting through this layer, Credenza duels Snow's adult form, supported by her own good memories and Knull's AntiMagic.]] |
| 99 | * BeardOfSorrow: Anthony in one of the {{flashback}}s to his DarkAndTroubledPast. One panel, his hair is fairly short, next panel is a [[TimePassesMontage montage of seasons passing]], in the third panel he's got a shaggy, unkempt, long mop. |
| 100 | * TheBeastmaster: Simon is rarely seen without his hunting dog June. [[spoiler:Later he also gains a flock of shadowmandyrs, once their queen (who has been possesing Simon) is dead and he's the only "home" and authority they now know.]] |
| 101 | * BeastMan: Aside from the were-beasts, there are Avians (bird-men, like Kor and Steller), Cloven (with gazelle traits, like Pan), Pandorians (bat-people, like captain Syn), and other mix-and-match sentients. |
| 102 | * BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: Page 94, book 3 is the first time Raven ever is treated kindly (Credenza reassures him while checking his wound). This seems to be when his HeelFaceTurn begins in earnest. |
| 103 | -->'''Raven''' (thinking): Kindness? I was not made for kindness... Is this kindness? It feels... nice. |
| 104 | * {{BFS}}: Riley's sword, The Jawbreaker, is so heavy only someone with a (half-)wereshark's strength can lift it. |
| 105 | * BigBad: The Great Raven. His attempt to wipe out all life caused Dragonfly and the Six to [[SealedEvilInACan bind the Great Raven]], and the great army of Ravens who came into his service by a DealWithTheDevil is trying to unseal him now. [[spoiler:Except, as it turns out, upon sealing he has lost the connection to smaller ravens - the were just operating on the last orders given. He, in the meantime, had lots of time to reflect on his evil deeds and regret them.]] |
| 106 | * BigBrotherInstinct: Uru, for Credenza. He defended her from a bully right at the start, and they adopted each other as siblings. In another flashback, [[spoiler: he took a flogging for her, and in yet another he made a HeroicSacrifice so she could escape Snow.]] |
| 107 | * BigDamnHeroes: %%more examples |
| 108 | ** Credenza rescuing Blitz from Syn in book 1 (even though she gets thrown into a tree): |
| 109 | -->'''Credenza''': I would be one friend if I let some son of a coatrack like you frame him for murder! |
| 110 | ** Tin-Can Turtle intervening with his EyeBeams when she and the twins are overwhelmed by shadomandyrs. |
| 111 | ** When the shadomandyrs chase Credenza to the beach, suddenly.... Blitz [[DynamicEntry emerges from the ocean]] to smash them. Riding a hammerhead shark. |
| 112 | ** [[spoiler: During Credenza's DarkestHour, when Snow locks her up in a dream to make her believe her life since escaping him has been AllJustADream, Paollo (whose power Snow's using to create the dream) seizes the opportunity to help her out.]] |
| 113 | ** [[spoiler: She herself intervenes just in time to rescue Raven in the Maze of Dreams.]] |
| 114 | %% move to character page * BigEater: Riley |
| 115 | * BigFancyCastle: Quillotian royal family owns one, of course, that is just as fancy as everything on the island. Anthony Solair also owned a castle, but this one is an old, dilapidated affair nobody in his family wanted, so he moved in there to be away from them, despite it being a money sink [[spoiler: build over the ancient crashed spaceship where TheBigBad is imprisoned. This castle gets burned down in the finale]]. |
| 116 | * BigGood: Dragonfly. [[spoiler:He dies on page, but after giving the protagonists his blessing and as much help as he can.]] He was the one to originally arrange the sealing of the Great Raven and made precautions in case the Raven was ever to come back. [[spoiler:Tabitha hints that this might be how he came to be confined to a [[PeopleJars life support system]].]] Dragonfly also created the Listing of Names and deposited it in the nunnery and library on the Hidden Island. |
| 117 | * BigStupidDoodooHead: Clair (a six-year-old) does that a lot. Even against captain Snow: |
| 118 | -->'''Clair''': Stupid dog-eating poo pirate! Rotten big nosed fly butt face! Evil stinky puke sniffing baby puncher! You big *sniff* you big meany! |
| 119 | ** Credenza is similarly creative in this regard: |
| 120 | -->'''Credenza''': You filthy, loathsome, inexcusably evil, poorly dressed coward! |
| 121 | ** She also calls the Shadomandyr Queen "a porridge of tapioca and ego" (when trying to distract her). |
| 122 | * BigYes: |
| 123 | ** Spindle, when [[spoiler: Blitz first transforms]] to open a can of whoopass. |
| 124 | %% ? ** Snow, [[spoiler:[[TooKinkyToTorture when being attacked by Dragon!Blitz]]]] |
| 125 | * BlackBugRoom: The Maze of Dreams is build of Black Bug Rooms designed to keep nosy {{Dream Walker}}s away from the spider in the center. And to torment the dreamers, of course. Two of the dreams that we get glimpses of revolve around MyGreatestFailure. The lynchpin dreamers Credenza has to wake to free everyone are: |
| 126 | ** [[spoiler: Riley, whose angular desert with thorny plants reflects his deep-seated abandonment issues and fear of DyingAlone]], |
| 127 | ** [[spoiler: Tuff, who's facing a monster in a ballroom full of masked people - except he suffers every wound he inflicts on the monster]], |
| 128 | ** and [[spoiler: Raven, whose dream is TheFinalTemptation, but turns nightmarish when he works that fact out thanks to [[AGlitchInTheMatrix glitches]] and refuses to stay in]]. |
| 129 | * BlindSeer: A half-case: Anansi Padma is blind in one eye, but it doesn't seem relevant at all to her seeing the future. [[spoiler:In fact, it was her trying to stop the future from happening that caused her to become blind in one eye and lose her arms.]] |
| 130 | * BloodFromTheMouth: Snow, when stabbed through the heart with a wooden sword. He laughs like a maniac all the while. |
| 131 | * BodyHorror: When a half-werebeast attempts to shapeshift into a beastly form, the results are visceral and pathetic enough to make Snow (him of the "torture is what I do for FUN") draw a magical [[MercyKill misericordia]]. |
| 132 | * TheBookCipher: [[spoiler: The repair journal]] has two levels of security. It's written in the same magical script that the Listing of Names uses, making it only readable for Readers. The second level is that, on the surface, the book is a ''silva rerum'' (a handwritten collection of anything the author found interesting), but [[spoiler: the tidbits of information come from other books in the library, except with words missing. These words form the actual text.]] It takes Tuff an entire night and help from the librarian to figure this out. |
| 133 | * {{Bookends}}: The comic begins and ends with Raven and Credenza on the beach on Ruin Island at night. In the first pages, she's rescuing him, an utterly confused shipwrecked stranger, in the last pages [[spoiler:they're dancing and making plans for their future together]]. |
| 134 | %% not this trope * BoyMeetsGirl: [[spoiler:Riley]] accidentally spends an entire day flirting with [[spoiler:Alice]], ironically without knowing that she was the one he was supposed to be looking for. |
| 135 | %%??? doesn't break him, he cries and moves on * BreakTheCutie: When hints of [[DarkAndTroubledPast Blitz's memories]] begin trickling back to him. |
| 136 | %% nah * BreadEggsMilkSquick: When Tuff is AfraidToHoldTheBaby (Mikel's newborn son) -->'''Tuff''': What if my teeth scare him? What if I drop him? [[SpontaneousHumanCombustion What if he explodes?!]] |
| 137 | * BreakingSpeech: %% more examples? |
| 138 | ** Shadomandyr Queen to Raven: |
| 139 | --->'''Queen''': What makes you think you even have the right to defy master Raven? He made you perfect! Without sadness, without fear, the ultimate warrior and servant. And now look at you, you aren't even a real human. You do not know how to be. You've never had to feel your own emotions before. I am doing you a favor by ending your life. After being a spirit, free of body, mind and soul, how can you live like this? [[TrappedInTheHost Trapped within that fleshy shell]]. Do you know what that is, coursing through your body? It is fear. One of the emotions Raven shielded you from. Horrible, isn't it? |
| 140 | ** Lucinda attempts this on Tabitha: |
| 141 | --->'''Lucinda''': Your weakness, miss Tabitha, is that you are only ruled by your heart. I however have been separated from these debilitating emotions. Raven has changed me for the better. I am no longer that fragile girl with breakable heart. |
| 142 | ** Snow does this a lot [[spoiler: both in waking world and in the dream world]], including a TheyDiedBecauseOfYou targeted at ''[[WouldHurtAChild Clair]]''. |
| 143 | * BrickJoke: |
| 144 | ** The shoe Credenza lost fighting scraptors reappears at the end of the book being used as a boat by underworld mice. |
| 145 | ** Vanesse's comment that Credenza likes older men. She ends up with Raven, who's technically over a thousand years old. |
| 146 | ** Credenza complains about people mistaking her room for the bathroom back in book 1. In the epilogue, she [[spoiler: meets Knull again]] as she's putting up a sign pointing at bathrooms. Also, [[spoiler: Knull had used a "bathroom break" excuse to sneak out in book 10]]. |
| 147 | * BullyingADragon: |
| 148 | ** Han has... a tendency to taunt people who can kill him six ways to Sunday. Including Snow. And weresharks. It never goes well for him, and he never learns. |
| 149 | ** Salvo is bitingly racist towards were-sharks and ''dragons''. Actual dragons. Good for him Kroft's a CoolOldGuy. |
| 150 | * ButYouWereThereAndYouAndYou: [[spoiler: Raven's Maze of Dreams experience is a SliceOfLife (modeled on the memories of an [=AI=] engineer from the {{precursor}} civilisation who created the Raven) featuring Credenza as his wife, Blitz as their dog and the Luck brothers as his role-playing buddies. Simon, humanified Tin-Can and Uru are his co-workers, and Listy is a search engine. Some other characters are mentioned by name.]] |
| 151 | * CassandraTruth: |
| 152 | ** Anthony didn't kill captain Syn's fiance [[spoiler: Syn did and framed him]]. Ditto for Blitz and that guy whose body he was found crouching over, literally caught red-handed. |
| 153 | --->'''Blitz''': I didn't do it. |
| 154 | ** Paolin having misgivings about Blitz (who isn't an evil spirit, but is, at the point, possessed by one): |
| 155 | --->'''Paolin''': [Blitz] could be an evil spirit trying to use your good nature against you! %%Credenza responds: this only happened once! NoodleIncident? |
| 156 | ** Whenever Clair repeats something Benjamin told her, because Cassie thinks he's her ImaginaryFriend. |
| 157 | * CasualDangerDialogue: The villains are somewhat more prone to witty banter than the heroes, but both sides have their moments. %%quote? |
| 158 | * TheCavalry: In the finale, thanks to [[spoiler: Willium's preparations, Kroft rallying dragons from Quillotia and Paolin opening a magic door to get them on place, on time]]. |
| 159 | * CatapultNightmare: Credenza's FlashbackNightmare in book 2. |
| 160 | * CatchAFallingStar: Credenza just keeps falling off heights. Sometimes she gets caught during the fall: |
| 161 | ** On Hidden Island, when the group's attempt to get into the abbey goes a little crazy, she's caught by Raven (in Blitz's body), and they both crash through the arboretum glass roof. |
| 162 | ** Snow attempts to send Credenza to her death [[spoiler: by dropping her into the Exigo core, but Blitz transforms and dives in right after her, to catch her in the nick of time.]] |
| 163 | * CatharticChores: Alice folds laundry to calm herself after a fight with Riley. |
| 164 | * CatharticExhalation: Raven lets out a relieved breath after [[spoiler: Paolin's questioning and final decision that he can stay in book 10]]. |
| 165 | * CeilingCling: |
| 166 | ** In book 2, Raven in Blitz's body hides among the pipes in Paollo's sub. |
| 167 | ** Tuff hides among the ceiling beams in the tower [[spoiler: after transforming and [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone massacring the ravens]].]] |
| 168 | * CerebusSyndrome: Later chapters rarely take place during the day, action persists but is mostly dominated by drama, and there is much more actual bloodshed to be had. |
| 169 | * ChekhovsGun: %%more examples? |
| 170 | ** The poot owl Credenza had sent from Paper Island to tell the Burillas she's okay [[spoiler: found them in Quillotia as they were looking for her - this is how TheCavalry Mikel and Willium have started assembling got to the right place on time]]. |
| 171 | ** [[spoiler: Anthony's watch]] is first found in Holly's strange setup of seemingly random items in the lab. |
| 172 | ** The well Clair falls into. [[spoiler: Cassie uses it later to escape Snow. And Clair uses it to bury him, though that doesn't work.]] |
| 173 | * ChekhovsGunman: |
| 174 | ** Aside from Charlie, [[spoiler:actually Uru under a ForcedTransformation spell]], when Snow begins using the gauntlet containing [[AllYourPowersCombined all of the heirs' abilities]], the heir whose power he gets the most use out of (and, in turn, the one who's able to counteract him) is [[spoiler:[[DreamWeaver Paollo]]]]. |
| 175 | ** One who has been there from the very start... [[spoiler: Sure, Snow, abuse the antimage all you want, it's not like he'll turn against you and... oh, Knull's just teamed up with Credenza in the dream world and lent her his powers. Figures.]] |
| 176 | %% not this trope ** Anansi, telling fortune for Tuff, predicts a meeting with "a beautiful blue-skinned stranger". |
| 177 | * CirclingBirdies: |
| 178 | ** While the comic is still on the comical side: %%later goes Cerebus, note |
| 179 | --->'''Credenza:''' Heh heh... Pweety lights... |
| 180 | ** When Paollo's waking up from a vision in book 2: |
| 181 | --->'''Tusura:''' Okay, Paollo, how many fingers am I holding up?\ |
| 182 | '''Paollo:''' Look! Stars!\ |
| 183 | '''Tusura:''' Close enough. |
| 184 | * CleverCrows: The BigBad is The Great Raven, an ancient spirit, fearfully clever, terribly powerful, [[SealedEvilInACan trapped beneath the Earth with a magic seal.]] Also present is Raven, who used to be a spiritual handservant for The Great Raven. He's also clever, but he went through a series of events (not least of which was outliving his usefulness) that shook his world [[HeelFaceTurn and made him switch loyalties.]] |
| 185 | * ClimbingTheCliffsOfInsanity: Really tall cliffs are a natural defense for the Hidden Island abbey, along with Tunnel Wyrms. [[spoiler: The group solves this by surprising Raven and having him fly over.]] |
| 186 | %%definitely needs expansion, or just delete? * {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Blitz, Paollo, Mikel, among others. |
| 187 | * ClothingDamage: |
| 188 | ** When [[spoiler: Shadomandyr Queen rips Simon's clothes off while possessing him to taunt the heroes]], Credenza [[LampshadeHanging comments]] |
| 189 | --->'''Credenza''': Was it really necessary to get rid of [his] clothes, or was that just for effect? |
| 190 | ** Tuff's transformations end up with him needing to borrow clothes, until he gives up and gets himself some MagicPants. |
| 191 | * ColourCodedForYourConvenience: Different magic, different colors. This is unrelated to elements (magic is generally non-elemental in this setting), but most magic users get their own color. |
| 192 | * ComfortFood: Dragons have dragon tea, which according to Cassie used to cheer her dragon friend up on cold, wet days. She cooks some (with Tuff's help) for the dragons in the final {{denouement}} and it's very appreciated (even by Riley). It has tea in it, but |
| 193 | -->'''Tuff''': It's mostly oat mash, milk and bonemeal, mixed with herbs and spices. |
| 194 | * ComicallyMissingThePoint: From the ''Snowflakes'' intermission, when captain Snow is showing his mechanical arm off to [[spoiler:his daughter]]: %%more examples? |
| 195 | -->'''Snow''': This isn't a toy! [[ByNoIMeanYes It's an insanely dangerous toy.]] This arm is made with the technology of the ancients who made the Archipelago! At its full power, it is capable of being an unstoppable weapon of mass destruction! ...You don't get one of these until you're at least eighteen, young lady. |
| 196 | * ConditionedToAcceptHorror: Wereshark society is apparently very dark and violent, with an atavistic focus on blood and feeding. Weresharks raised away from it are perfectly friendly (like Tuff, Riley, and their father), though their fight-or-flight instincts can be easily triggered by a strong scent of blood or the sight of a loved one being injured. |
| 197 | * ContrivedCoincidence: A few, mostly regarding the identity of the heirs. In order; |
| 198 | ** [[spoiler:Kor, one of the heirs, happened to work for Vaniji Ralo, who knew Captain Snow personally and was gifted both Paollo's guards to MindControl them into slaves and Charlie.]] |
| 199 | ** [[spoiler: The second-to-last heir is Anthony/Blitz's daughter.]] |
| 200 | ** [[spoiler: The final heir, Uru, not only is Credenza's best friend from her days of slavery on Snow's ship, but was actually Charlie the entire time. This gives him a personal connection to Snow and Credenza, our main protagonist and antagonist, and to Kor, another heir.]] |
| 201 | ** [[spoiler:Anthony and Clair's home was built on top of the very ship that the Great Raven is sealed inside of.]] |
| 202 | * ConverseWithTheUnconscious: [[spoiler: Riley, when Alice's soul is stolen, stays with her whenever he can, cares for her and fills the heartbreaking silence by telling her about his dreams for the future and everything that comes to mind]]. |
| 203 | %% character trope, moving * CordonBleughChef: Riley. |
| 204 | * CreepyRavens: No actual birds, but the BigBad is called The Great Raven and looks distinctly birdlike. His minions have a raven theme. As to creepiness, their hosts all have [[RedRightHand a red left eye]] (the raven spirits' point of entry), possess people by a DealWithTheDevil and can [[AndIMustScream soulseal them]] when the deal stops being profitable to the great raven cause. A good number of them are also AxCrazy. |
| 205 | * CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: |
| 206 | ** Blitz. His hidden badassery first emerges when he saves Credenza from shadomandyrs. Later, in the underworld, the high level of background magic, combined with Dragonfly's gift allows him to [[spoiler: use a spiritual/magical version of his dragon form without transforming, which he can't at the moment]] and turn scraptors into mincemeat with an impressive SlasherSmile on his face. Later, he casually rips the arm off Snow, ''BlowingARaspberry''. And that's before we even learn he's [[spoiler: a dragon]]. |
| 207 | ** Kor is a flighty, fickle, weak-willed, SerialRomeo meter-tall bird-man actor. He's also an heir, and holds his own against Snow in a sword fight. |
| 208 | * CrushBlush: All the boys in Credenza's group get these every now and then - Raven for Credenza (this starts being mutual in book 7), Riley when he sees Alice in battle (and after kissing her for the first time), Tuff for Cassie. |
| 209 | * CrushTheKeepsake: [[spoiler: When sending Credenza to her death in book 10, Snow crushes the Soul Key. He thinks this will take away her power, but actually, since the Key is just an AmplifierArtifact, it just removes her limitations.]] |
| 210 | * CrypticConversation: Very early on, [[DreamWeaver dream!Paollo]] attempts to warn Credenza of events to come (Raven, the heirs, basically the main plotline), but she has no idea what he's talking about. |
| 211 | -->'''Paollo:''' Darnit, what's the point of being omniscient when no one else is? |
| 212 | * CurseCutShort: Of the injured-mid-sentence variety. %%more examples? |
| 213 | -->'''Raven:''' Curse it, Snow! You soul thieving son of a b- *gets a baseball bat into solar plexus* -UHK! |
| 214 | * CuteLittleFangs: Clair, being the daughter of a half-dragon [[spoiler:and a full dragon]]. Kor could almost count given his small and "huggable" appearance, but he usually only bares them when he looks like he wants to rip out someone's throat with them. |
| 215 | * CutenessProximity: In the epilogue, Clair (aged seven) towards a baby: |
| 216 | -->'''Clair''': How are you so fat and ''cute''?! |
| 217 | * CynicIdealistDuo: The most visible way the Luck brothers contrast each other is Tuff's general pessimism and Riley's eternal optimism. This dialogue is the twins in a nutshell: |
| 218 | -->'''Riley''': What gift did you get from Dragonfly?\ |
| 219 | '''Tuff''': You tell me! As far as I know he just zapped me because he thought it was funny. Story of my life.\ |
| 220 | '''Riley''': Don't be like that. Maybe he cured your ulcers?\ |
| 221 | '''Tuff''': The ones you gave me?\ |
| 222 | '''Riley''': Very funny. I wouldn't worry, you always figure it out in the end. |
| 223 | %% he doesn't really fight with his medical knowledge, this is reserved for torture * DeadlyDoctor: Captain Snow. See MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate. |
| 224 | * DeadpanSnarker: Most of the characters have their moments, but Raven snarks most often. %%more quotes? |
| 225 | -->'''Raven:''' Nice try, Riley, but it will take more than halitosis to scare me. |
| 226 | * DealWithTheDevil: The ravens' modus operandi - they offer your heart's desire (or what they think your heart's desire is) in exchange for serving the Great Raven. Knull's is basically "we will not kill you gruesomely", though. |
| 227 | * DeathByChildbirth: [[spoiler:Chesska, driving her husband, Anthony, to deep depression and finally leading to his taking a berch on a merchant ship and getting marooned, which is how he enters the story]]. |
| 228 | * DeathByRacism: Salvo, the guard who harrasses Tuff for being a wereshark, is torn to pieces by [[spoiler: [[HulkingOut transformed]] Tuff, because he betrayed Quillotia to the Great Raven]]. He was also rude to Kroft, calling him "king's pet dragon" and trying to boss him around. |
| 229 | -->'''Salvo''': Letting a dog eat at the table doesn't make it a guest. |
| 230 | * DeathGlare: While kidnapping an heir, who is unconscious at the moment, Kurr and Han complain about having to carry the victim... |
| 231 | -->'''Kurr''': I don't care if she's a girl, I'll still beat her up for shoving this job on us-\ |
| 232 | Lucinda gives him a look of [[UnsoundEffect DOOM]]\ |
| 233 | '''Snow''': You want to make her carry the body? Go ahead, but I won't clean up your bodies afterward. |
| 234 | * DeathOfPersonality: Anthony, for all intents and purposes, dies shortly before his body washes ashore on the Ruin Island. We learn why and how later. Blitz, the new personality, is stated by all those who knew Anthony to act and hold himself completely differently. [[spoiler: Cassie, however, notices some of Anthony's mannerisms in ''Raven''.]] |
| 235 | * DeliberatelyMonochrome: In the main story, [[SplashOfColor color is reserved for magical effects]], making large battles bright and dramatic. Dreams and {{flashback}}s - all flashbacks, including ''Snowflakes'', a [[VillainEpisode side story about Snow]] set just before the series began - are done in full color. |
| 236 | * {{Denouement}}: Except book 2, where the action segues straight into a {{cliffhanger}}, each book has a large scale scene-sequel composition: things build up to the big action sequence and then there is the aftermatch with all the emotional fallout and the out-figuring of things. This does not preclude {{Wham Shot}}s and {{Wham Line}}s. |
| 237 | * DemBones: Snow steals some wereshark bones from Quillotia, animates them and uses them later to attack Credenza and Alice. [[spoiler: Which is just a distraction from kidnapping Kor.]] |
| 238 | * DemonicPossession: Ravens' modus operandi. |
| 239 | ** [[spoiler:The Shadomandyr Queen is possessing Simon right when we first meet him.]] %%he's noticeably harsh when possesed |
| 240 | ** When the Raven sees Dragonfly, he possesses Snow to personally duel his most hated enemy. Oh, and the Raven causes Snow to change into a massive raven [[MorphicResonance with a shock of white feathers on his head]]. |
| 241 | * DeskSweepOfRage: When Raven's latest jewellry piece just isn't coming out right, he starts yelling at it (or at himself) and sweeps the worktable. This is probably displacement, as he's TooUpsetToCreate after his argument with Credenza. |
| 242 | %% does she? * DiesWideOpen: [[spoiler: Holly]] |
| 243 | * DishingOutDirt: Quillotian masonmages (Mikel is one) shape and control stone, which is quite handy for construction. |
| 244 | * DisneyVillainDeath: [[spoiler: Lucinda, having finally learned the truth about Corveau, [[DrivenToSuicide plunges herself off a cliff]], [[TakingYouWithMe pulling along Han]] who wronged her.]] |
| 245 | * TheDogBitesBack: Knull, after eight books worth of abuse, finally snaps [[spoiler: after Lucinda's death and attempts to kill Snow, who casually tells him he had arranged the entire Corveau situation. Then, in the dreamscape, Knull finds Credenza and, using his AntiMagic, helps her kill Snow for good]]. |
| 246 | * DragonWithAnAgenda: Snow is the supreme commander to the Great Raven army, but doesn't really care to KillAllHumans at once - it's so much more fun to kill them one by one. [[spoiler: In the end, he says he's only been after power and doesn't care squat about the Great Raven. Right before he eats the spirit.]] |
| 247 | * DramaticDrop: Kor, when [[spoiler: Tuff reads his real name from the Listing, proving that he is an heir]]. It later turns into a RunningGag, as Kor keeps dropping whatever drink he's holding. |
| 248 | * DramaticIrony: |
| 249 | ** By [[spoiler: changing him into a jabberwock on a whim]], Snow unintentionally helped Uru avoid the Great Raven's notice. |
| 250 | ** Alice's friends telling her to have one peek at the party ([[spoiler: where there are two distinct groups looking specifically for her]]) and come right back: |
| 251 | -->'''Alice''': Honestly, you're acting like people are looking specifically for me! |
| 252 | ** He's just asking for it... %%different trope? |
| 253 | -->'''A raven-possessed quillotian noble''': We're the scariest thing in this castle.\ |
| 254 | Han screams, running past in panic [[spoiler: because the freshly transformed and ''seriously'' irked Tuff is chasing him; cue massacre]] |
| 255 | ** In book 8, the seranith of Anthony's household arguing about whether or not he's coming back... [[spoiler: as Blitz and company is twelve hours away.]] And most of them are certain he will be back. Clair later says he's coming back for sure, since all he has is there. |
| 256 | ** During a sparring, Zatachi tells Kor he has to be prepared for anything in real combat. Right on cue, Charlie jumps in between them. %%different trope - which one? |
| 257 | ** Raven's Maze of Dreams only works because [[spoiler: he thinks Credenza's dead. But we know Blitz [[CatchAFallingStar rescued her]] and they're trying to find their way back to the team.]] |
| 258 | * DreamWalker: This is an ancient, sacred art on Eastern Continent. Paollo, who has beed trained in it all his life, still has trouble with aspects like PsychicBlockDefense. TalkingInYourDreams is a common early sign of this, according to Paollo's guards, as is [[PastExperienceNightmare reliving past experiences in dreams]] [[spoiler: Like, for instance, a series of {{Flashback Nightmare}}s Credenza's been having for the entire story]]. A dream walker can not only enter others' dreams, but [[DreamWeaver reshape them]] unnoticed, unless the other person is a dream walker themselves. BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind is a subtle endeavour. |
| 259 | -->'''Tatami''': A war of dreams cannot be won by simply building walls around your mind. You must use your dreams, wield them like weapons and listen to what they tell you. |
| 260 | * DroolHello: In book 7, Kor sees a suspicious liquid drop from the ceiling... [[spoiler: Kurr's drool, and Kor - in his tiny spiritual form - just walked into werehyena mouth]]. |
| 261 | * DuctTapeForEverything: Even the heart crystal (the main power source, ridiculously expensive but essential part of an archipelagian submarine) in brothers' Luck sub gets (temporarily) put back together with duct tape, reinforcing the AfterTheEnd vibe. |
| 262 | * DullSurprise: Lucinda, most of the time. Even when attacked by an angry seranith out of the blue. Justified, since her [[DealWithTheDevil deal with the Raven]] was putting her emotions "[[EmotionlessGirl over there, in a corner, where they can't hurt her]]". |
| 263 | %%is that really this trope? * DyingAsYourself: A raven spirit leaves its host upon death, as evidenced with [[spoiler:Kurr]]. [[spoiler:Han, being a shapeshifter]] goes out this way as well, [[spoiler:showing Lucinda ([[TheUnreveal but not the reader]]) his true appearance before their DisneyVillainDeath]]. |
| 264 | %% moved * DynamicEntry: Credenza is on the beach, surrounded by shadowmandyrs, and then, suddenly.... Blitz [[BigDamnHeroes emerges from the ocean]]. Smashing the shadowmandyrs. While riding a hammerhead shark. |
| 265 | * DumbStruck: |
| 266 | ** Lucas (Anthony's crewmate), when seeing Blitz for the first time, is reduced to shoving his colleague in shock. |
| 267 | -->'''Authur''': WHAT IS IT? All I see is the waitress and... Great sky maker above... ANTHONY? %%yes, that's his name, not Arthur |
| 268 | ** After Tuff tells them the big revelation in the last scene of book 7, Credenza and Raven just stare at him, mouths open. |
| 269 | * EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Looking back on the first few chapters can invoke this. The stronger gear/broken metal aesthetic (the screws and gears sticking out of rocks), bigger emphasis on action and fights (and an almost MOTW setup to go along with it; Syn, the Shadowmandyrs, the Listing of Names, and the Great Raven) are phased out by chapter 6. |
| 270 | * EmotionlessGirl: Lucinda. Justified - she [[LoveHurts had her heart broken]] (by a man hinted [[spoiler:and later confirmed]] to have something to do with the Raven, no less), and her price for joining the Raven was to have her heart ''really'' broken all the way through, so she couldn't feel pain anymore. |
| 271 | * EmpathicEnvironment: |
| 272 | ** In Quillotia, it starts raining just as Tuff walks out of his argument with Mikel. It keeps raining throughout the battle with ravens, reflecting Tuff's tumultous state of mind. |
| 273 | ** DramaticThunder punctuates Kor's duel with Snow. |
| 274 | ** The entire dramatic, full of revelations book 8 takes place in the rain that turns into a storm with DramaticThunder at key moments. The island it happens on is stated to be very rainy. |
| 275 | * EmptyShell: Those whose souls have been removed from their bodies (by the use of Snow's mechanical arm) lose all agency and just sit there or mindlessly trudge behind whoever's taking care of them, while their souls are locked up in the arm. The souls, however, retain their drive (if most of them [[TheSpeechless don't retain the ability to speak]]). [[spoiler: Paollo's body seems to have a little more initiative than others, maybe because his soul stays nearby, maybe because he's a dream walker. In any case, it can drag unconscious seranith to safety.]] |
| 276 | * EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Captain Snow seems oddly protective of his nephew, Knull. ''Snowflakes'' introduces [[spoiler:Noemi (Snow's wife) and Yula (his daughter)]], but ultimately deconstructs the trope; [[spoiler:Snow kills his mother in a flashback, and Noemi points out that his love for her and their daughter wouldn't stop him from hurting either of them eventually.]] |
| 277 | ** The trope is further deconstructed in the story proper - it's precisely the people he "loves" who bear the brunt of his cruelty. Snow may sometimes act friendly, may do a good deed on occasion, but ultimately he's just a cruel man. |
| 278 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: Snow, an avid tea affectionado, once berated his crew for trying to burn down a tea house. He also refrained from warning them when the shop owner proceeded to poison every cup (including his), deciding that if they couldn't see that coming, they weren't good enough to serve as his crew in the first place. |
| 279 | * EvilCannotComprehendGood: Raven spirits are no psychologists and don't really understand love, loyalty or empathy. Consequently, they tempt with money, power, pleasure, revenge or relief from emotional pain, which worked great for [[EmotionlessGirl Lucinda]], but attempted on Anthony [[spoiler: caused him to change his mind, precisely because he loved his daughter and didn't want to forget her]]. When someone's having second thoughts, the ravens tend to goad their paranoia. |
| 280 | * EvilGenius: Snow apparently has medical training, has jury rigged medical implements using advanced tech, and at one point animates skeletons. Other than that, he can be pretty cunning, and when he isn't laughing maniacally, he's quite capable of biding his time instead of attacking like a fool. |
| 281 | -->'''Snow''': Attempting to break in by force is silly and a waste of time.\ |
| 282 | '''Steller''': You're wrong! We've already found the way in, and now it's only a matter of time before-\ |
| 283 | '''Soldier''': Um, sir, [[InstantlyProvenWrong the diggers have run into a problem]]. They've tunneled down twenty feet and hit metal. They can't dig any further. The lab must be mostly buried under the ground, and all of it is made from the same magic... resistant... I... I think I'll be going now. |
| 284 | * EvilHand: If you look closely, [[spoiler: in the flashback to Anthony gouging his raven-infected eye out, he's using his left hand, and his right is ''trying to stop him''.]] |
| 285 | * EvilIsDeathlyCold: Credenza describes stepping on a shadomandyr as "like stepping into cold water". They generally feel cold and clammy (Tuff compares them to tapioca). |
| 286 | * ExhaustedEyeBags: Tuff while deciphering the journal (he forgot to sleep for two days straight and it seems like he ForgetsToEat, too). Credenza when she can't sleep, because [[spoiler: Snow keeps attacking her in her dreams]]. |
| 287 | * ExplosiveBreeder: Apparently, moofs. Enough to make Credenza's SurpriseInspectionRuse to get on board of a certain sub believable. |
| 288 | -->'''Credenza:''' Do you know what happens if those things get in your submarine and multiply!? ''(shudder)'' |
| 289 | * ExplosiveLeash: The collars Snow's old pirating crew put on werebeast captives (e.g. on Uru) had spikes on the inside. Why? To kill the captive if he tries to transform, because transforming bulks werebeasts up. |
| 290 | * EyeScream: Ravens always enter (and leave) the host through their left eye. [[spoiler: Because of this, Anthony ''gouges his own left eye out'' trying to stop a raven from possessing him. And that's how [[DeathOfPersonality Anthony dies]] and Blitz is born.]] |
| 291 | %% I just have no idea * EyeTake: Raven and Credenza [[http://thearchipelago.smackjeeves.com/comics/1910255/book-7-page-158/ on this page.]] Captain Snow joins the list [[http://thearchipelago.smackjeeves.com/comics/1910680/book-8-page-119/ here]]. |
| 292 | * FacelessMasses: The TorchesAndPitchforks crowd Simon assembles on Coin Island. [[spoiler: In the green magical crowd of Credenza's supporters in the final dream, only her closest friends: Tuff, Riley, Raven and Blitz have faces.]] |
| 293 | %%moved to character page * FaintingSeer: According to Tusura, it often takes a bucket of cold water to snap Paollo out of his visions. |
| 294 | * FallingInLoveMontage: [[spoiler:Riley and Alice]] going to the market together in Quillotia. |
| 295 | * FakeDefector: During the events of book nine, Raven willingly turns himself in to the Great Raven's army to ransom for captured Credenza. He gives a pretty convincing speech, and just when it seems like he's ready to give everyone else up so Credenza can live... [[spoiler: his friendly dragon crewmate flies in, strafing the ravens with fire.]] |
| 296 | * FantasticRacism: |
| 297 | ** Weresharks are seen as deadly dangerous predatory monsters (and culturally, that's not far off the mark). Tuff and Riley Luck, as half-bloods (they had a human mother), [[HalfBreedDiscrimination face all the prejudice sharkmen are subject to, and more from their shark kin]]. It's especially bad in Quillotia, the Luck brothers' home city, which has a large population of wereorcas, who hate weresharks with a special zeal. |
| 298 | ** Dragons, or at least the Solair clan, tend to treat everyone who isn't a full-blooded dragon as beneath them. |
| 299 | * FantasyKeepsake: The Soul Key, which Paollo gives Credenza in their first shared vision. She wakes up somewhat puzzled to be wearing it. The Key serves as both [[AmplifierArtifact training wheels for her magic]] and a literal key to several locked things. |
| 300 | * FauxAffablyEvil: Captain Snow, most of the time, is very laid-back, prone to jokes and humorous asides, and just when you forget he's a ruthless pirate, the [[TheDreaded scourge of the Archipelago]], and so on, he casually kills someone, smiling all the way. [[spoiler: He puts it to good use getting Holly to do his bidding. She genuinely believes Snow is a nice, kind, helpful man.]] |
| 301 | * FieldPowerEffect: The underworld, the belly of the Archipelago, or the insides of the ship that became it. The decidedly weird scenery is a result of a particularly strong magic there that mutates living creatures (scraptors are feral, mutated seranith) and allows spirits [[spoiler: and Blitz's dragon soul/form]] to be seen by everyone. |
| 302 | * FightingFromTheInside: |
| 303 | ** [[spoiler: Vander thinks he is. Actually, the Great Raven is just toying with him and soulseals him the moment Vander's attempt to kill Tuff and Listy fails.]] |
| 304 | ** [[spoiler: Benjamin during the final battle is fighting with all his power, but needs a little help from Raven to actually win.]] |
| 305 | * FireworksOfLove: The wedding reception in the epilogue features a fireworks display. [[spoiler: The first one goes off just as Cassie is about to kiss Tuff.]] |
| 306 | * FiveManBand: Unusual in that the Leader is a woman and her team is all guys. Credenza is TheHero, the one who formally was given TheQuest, and also a reasonable, levelheaded, but [[GutFeeling intuitive]] TeamMom who organises the group and keeps everyone on track, all the while being the team idealist and [[TheHeart emotional center]]. Raven, who's new to humanity and stumbling on social skills stuff (he used to be a bad guy), and as TheCynic to Credenza's optimism, is TheLancer. Doubles as TheSmartGuy in spirit-related and tactical matters. Riley is TheBigGuy, an uncomplicated, [[BoisterousBruiser extroverted]] bloke with a BFS. Tuff is TheSmartGuy, prevented from being a GeniusBruiser by being AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength (and other neuroses), a philosophical, bookish, serious young man, later also in charge of plotting the course for their search as the Reader of the Listing of Names. Finally Blitz is TheHeart the CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass who believes in Credenza with all his heart, no matter how much she doubts herself. |
| 307 | * FlashbackNightmare: Credenza has these throughout the story, remembering Uru and their escape attempt from Snow's sub. They [[FlashbackBPlot present her backstory more or less chronologically]]. Other characters also get these on occassion. |
| 308 | * FoodAsBribe: Pie. Pie is always good if you want a boy to do things for you. |
| 309 | ** Tabitha to Riley: |
| 310 | --->'''Tabitha''': Listen, boy, just for tolerating you, the least you could do is open the door. Besides, there might be some pie in it for you.\ |
| 311 | '''Riley''': Wait... not... fish pie?\ |
| 312 | '''Tabitha''': Y'know, I think it just might be fish.\ |
| 313 | '''Riley''': You own my soul. |
| 314 | ** Later, Credenza to Raven: |
| 315 | --->'''Credenza''': I could make you some chocolate pie when we get back! You love chocolate!\ |
| 316 | '''Raven:''' I am an ancient spirit of the dark. You think you can bribe me with a mere pastry?\ |
| 317 | '''Credenza:''' You're a little man made of ectoplasm. And you have a sweet tooth. |
| 318 | ** A meta example in the rant for page 4, book 7 (at least on Deviantart) |
| 319 | --->Usually the Luck brothers (Riley especially) are really easy to write, but this page gave me some difficulty. At least, until I gave them a box of cookies as a prop. Then they were plenty cooperative. |
| 320 | * FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: The Luck brothers, Riley being the impulsive happy-go-lucky one and Tuff being the serious, thoughtful one with foresight. Except their escape from home had been Tuff's idea, and Riley's dream is to settle down with his OneTrueLove. |
| 321 | * {{Foreshadowing}}: Lots and lots of small details that prove important later. |
| 322 | ** Book 2, page 47, Blitz says "Even if they throw me in the ocean, I'll just swim and swim until I find you again." Credenza takes it for his typical sillyness. Fifteen pages later, guess what happens. |
| 323 | ** Password to the underworld is "Olivia". Listy knows it. Now who could Olivia be... |
| 324 | ** When Snow's crew is discussing plans with Vaniji: |
| 325 | --->'''Kurr''': Your rug fnellf funny. What are you hiding under there?\ |
| 326 | '''Vaniji''': The last person who made impertinent remarks about my decor. |
| 327 | ** Sounds like a smartass quip? [[spoiler: He really is hiding someone - Tatami - there.]] |
| 328 | ** Credenza helps Kor take care of Charlie and discovers a lot of scarring on his back. [[spoiler: Not only they had the same abusive owner - Snow - but Charlie is actually Uru]]. |
| 329 | -->'''Kor''': He's always had those scars. He must have had an abusive owner before Vaniji brought him to me.\ |
| 330 | '''Credenza''': Looks like we have something in common after all, big guy. |
| 331 | ** Knull ''thinks'' Lucinda's [[MushroomSamba put something odd in his tea]] when he has a [[DreamingOfThingsToCome strange dream that foreshadows a certain future event]], [[spoiler: namely, his HeelFaceTurn]]. Then he sees [[spoiler: Han, who has been chased off the sub by Snow, steal food from the mess then vanish]] and thinks this is also a hallucination. [[spoiler: It isn't and Han will be causing some more trouble later]]. |
| 332 | ** Page 73, book 7 - an observant reader will notice that when Charlie licks Credenza's cheek, there's a tiny blue magic flash and the scratch she got earlier in the book is suddenly gone. In the next chapter, it turns out [[spoiler: Charlie's actually Uru - a healer with blue magic - put under a ForcedTransformation]]. |
| 333 | ** Page 100, book 7 contains the jagged shards of Anthony's memories that start making sense in book 8. |
| 334 | ** While Kroft's taking them to the palace (in his dragon form) Credenza asks about [[{{Weredragon}} dragon transformation]] and he goes into details. In the next panel, we have a shot of Blitz immensely enjoying flying on Kroft's back. He himself doesn't yet know that [[spoiler:Blitz is also a dragon.]] This is foreshadowed a lot, though in fairly subtle ways, throughout the comic up to the eventual reveal late in book 8. |
| 335 | ** In books 8 and 9, eating spirits is brought up about twice, not very seriously. [[spoiler: This is what Snow does at the end to obtain the Great Raven's power.]] |
| 336 | ** While telling Cassie about his family, Tuff mentions a masquerade ball that left some sort of bad emotional impression on him. [[spoiler: Guess what his nightmare is in the Maze of Dreams?]] |
| 337 | %% this is not foreshadowing - what is it? Tuff trying to read the "encrypted" heir entry can only see page after page of the same stick-drawing-in-a-circle symbol. At the end of book 8, it turns out this was the spell circle for Uru's transformation. |
| 338 | * FourthWallMailSlot: There used to be a (now defunct) Formspring account "answered" by the characters (under http://www.formspring.me/ArchipelagoCast ). Many answers are humorous, some are very sweet, and others are [[TearJerker downright depressing.]] |
| 339 | * {{Frameup}}: Just before the story actually began, Anthony was blamed for the death of his captain's fiance, which is how he ended up overboard. [[spoiler: Turns out it was actually the captain himself who killed her when she discovered he was shipping illegal goods.]] |
| 340 | %% no, she's not a Disney princess, just a nice gal * FriendToAllLivingThings: Credenza, though she makes a special exception for Captain Snow, whom she would gladly personally throttle. |
| 341 | * FromASingleCell: After [[spoiler:captain Snow is vaporized by the defense system of the ''Exigo'', a small chip of his [[ManInTheMachine machinery]] worms its way into the ship's systems, [[AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs hijacks it]], and builds him a replacement body]]. |
| 342 | * FunnyBackgroundEvent: %% more examples? |
| 343 | ** Though the moment in book 7 where [[spoiler:Snow steals Credenza's soul]] is very intense, it's hard not to laugh at the picture of the pterodactyl with a laser beam coming out of its mouth in the background. |
| 344 | ** Another moment in book 7, where an actor is accosted by a pair of... fanfiction writers. |
| 345 | -->"You and Clarika are so romantic together!"\ |
| 346 | "We wrote a story about you two!"\ |
| 347 | "That's... nice." |
| 348 | ** In book 8, Charlie sneaks in and steals the chicken while humans are talking. He also squeezes Kor protectively (so hard Kor's eyes bulge) when Snow's in the middle of EvilGloating. |
| 349 | * GilliganCut: Murphy's in book 1, page 60: %%more examples? |
| 350 | -->'''Credenza''': If you [Blitz] are all Raven has, we're not in a terrible amount of danger, are we, eh?\ |
| 351 | Cut to Lucinda reporting to Snow about a crushed cell of resistance. |
| 352 | * GrandFinale: After 11 years and well over a thousand pages it would be strange if it didn't end this way. It's a huge, epic battle with a [[{{Robeast}} giant mecha monster]], interspersed with a BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind, with several prominently badass characters BackForTheFinale (with [[TheCavalry reinforcements]], including flying dragons), and a description really doesn't do it justice. |
| 353 | * GodzillaThreshold: Willium's priority is the safety of innocent bystanders, so he'd rather use a dangerous "wildcard" spell than allow [[spoiler: a giant Snow-possessed {{Robeast}}]] near a town. |
| 354 | * GogglesDoSomethingUnusual: Pan, a quillotian guard, is introduced testing a pair of new goggles of griffin make that exist, along with their wearer, in physical and spiritual world at the same time, allowing the wearer to see auras and spirits. Later, Raven borrows them to temporarily give himself a physical form. [[spoiler: And because he's wearing them when Credenza overloads her magic, he gets a human body for a moment. This seems to be the seed that afterwards, gradually, develops into a proper physical body.]] |
| 355 | * GoshDangItToHeck:[[invoked]] Crumbs! (WordOfGod says that it's hard to come up with G-rated swears.) |
| 356 | ** Alice is trying to untie a bag rather urgently. It's got lots of tight knots. So Alice, a girl raised around sailors, starts swearing at it like only she can: |
| 357 | --->'''Alice:''' Crumbs! Toast crumbs! Toast crumbs with butter and jam you stupid bag! |
| 358 | ** Paolo, however, is simply too nice and well-brought up to call ''Snow'' anything worse than "son of a salesman". |
| 359 | ** Raven lets out a literal "What the heck?!" after colliding with a chair [[spoiler: since he didn't realize he had legs already]]. |
| 360 | ** Tin-Can Turtle when a plan derails: |
| 361 | --->'''Tin-Can Turtle''': Oh, crumbs. |
| 362 | * TheGreatRepair: The team's plan when besieged in Holly's lab, which is actually [[spoiler: Benjamin's ship, but it needs repairs before they can get it running and escape in it and sort the Raven out]]. |
| 363 | * HalfHumanHybrid: Beastmen and regular humans can interbreed. Hybrids can have some werebeast traits like strength, [[SpiderSense danger-sense]], or a [[TheNoseKnows powerful sense of smell]], but shapeshifting into a more animalistic form is generally right out-- they can try, but it just isn't biologically viable. Tuff, himself a half-wereshark, describes the result as [[BodyHorror looking something like tuna casserole]]. [[spoiler:Riley trying this in desperation is bad enough to make Snow decide a MercyKill is in order.]] Half-dragons also exist (Chesska was one). |
| 364 | * HamsterWheelPower: If you look closely, Luck brothers' sub in the first couple of books has hamster wheels powering, according to the rant, non-essential parts of the ship. Other subs [[spoiler: including the new one they get from Mikel]] don't have these. Riley mentions having to feed them, too. |
| 365 | * HeelFaceTurn: |
| 366 | ** Raven, after he gets a soul, doesn't begin to follow the heroes out of his own free will immediately, but gets there pretty fast and stays there. |
| 367 | ** Much, much later [[spoiler: after Lucinda's death Knull decides he's done with following his uncle's orders.]] |
| 368 | * HeinzHybrid: |
| 369 | ** Vaniji is an "Archipelagan Mutt," a mix of human, Avian, were-cat, and Cloven, which balances out to "looks mostly human with a few vestigial features" like tiny, useless wings and a tail. |
| 370 | ** Most of the were-creature and beastmen races are technically these, as well. Weresharks were engineered using traits from gorillas and Komodo dragons as well as sharks. Fish-people like Cassie were engineered using cuttlefish and [[spoiler:electric eels]], among other things. According to the creator, "This is what comes of being raised watching Creator/AnimalPlanet." |
| 371 | * HeroicBSOD: After [[spoiler: transforming for the first time and massacring the bad guys in Quillotia]], Tuff is found huddled in a corner, and Mikel has to, very gently, coax him into getting up and putting one foot before the other. StressVomit is involved. In the infirmary Tuff just [[TroubledFetalPosition curls up on a bed, face buried in his arms]]. It takes him until the next morning to start talking about it. |
| 372 | %%not really this trope - find better one? definitely needs rewording * HijackedByGanon: Book 10 has a variation. [[spoiler:We finally come face to face with The Great Raven, set up as the BigBad- only for Snow, the one whose been harrying our heroes all along, to come up, eat The Raven, and act as the main villain for the rest of the plot.]] |
| 373 | * HoistByHisOwnPetard: |
| 374 | ** [[spoiler: If Snow had killed Knull instead of just rendering him unconscious, or if he had never kidnapped the boy in the first place, Knull would have never ended up in the dreamscape just as Credenza needed his help. If Snow hadn't had Han seduce Lucinda, which led to her death, or if he didn't allow her and Knull to become close, Knull would have had much less motivation and grit to lend TheHero a hand to kill his uncle]]. |
| 375 | ** Come to think of it, if Snow didn't separate Credenza from the group right before the final battle, her task in the Maze of Dreams would be significantly harder, maybe impossible. |
| 376 | * HoldYourHippogriffs: |
| 377 | ** Alice won't be kept away from Riley by wild jabberwockies. |
| 378 | ** Speaking of jabberwockies, Kor brings up a known joke when explaining he can't control Charlie: |
| 379 | --->'''Kor''': It's like the joke "Where does a three-hundred pound manticore sit?" "Anywhere it wants." |
| 380 | * HotSubOnSubAction: Second book, Captain Snow versus the Royal Guard. It ends pretty quickly, though, with pirates BoardingParty entering the sub. |
| 381 | %% no, it isn't - the guys are tall, but Alice is a BigBeautifulWoman and Cassie is just OneHeadShorter than Tuff, see them hugging in book 10 * HugeGuyTinyGirl: Both of the Luck brothers (Riley with Alice, Tuff with Cassie). |
| 382 | %%several - list * HopeSpot: |
| 383 | * HowWeGotHere: Book 8 begins with Credenza's group approaching Penumbra Island and [[spoiler: getting shot at by the Penumbra castle cannon]]. Then the narration goes back twelve hours to show us why. This part of the story also contains a {{Flashback}} to how the characters currently living on Penumbra Island came to be there. |
| 384 | -->The rant: The fact that Cassie and Clair and the rest are all situated in one place means that they have a lot of history built up, and that's one of the reasons I changed the perspective of the story to follow them for a short time. I felt that to understand these characters we needed to see where they were coming from, and I thought it would be more interesting to follow them through the events for a while rather than try to have them explain it all verbally later. |
| 385 | * HumanityEnsues: All the A.I.s but The Great Raven in the back-story. [[spoiler:Our Raven's starts at the end of book 6 from Credenza's magic overload, and is completed in book 7, triggered by strong emotions.]] |
| 386 | * HumanShield: [[spoiler: The Shadomandyr Queen uses Simon as one.]] |
| 387 | * HulkingOut: Were-beasts, especially were-sharks can transform and go berserk when their loved ones are in danger, especially at the sight or smell of blood. [[spoiler: This happens to Tuff during the attempted coup in Quillotia (he's one of the reason it ends at "attempted") and later on Paper Island when the bad guys draw blood from Riley]]. |
| 388 | %%is it this trope? * HumiliationConga: Throughout the book 5, Han ends up embarrassed, screwing up, or otherwise causing trouble for himself out of incompetence or thoughtlessness in nearly every appearance. |
| 389 | * HypnoticEyes: Vaniji, whose modus operandi is to hypnotise people instead of reasoning with them. Whether it's an actor asking for a time off or [[spoiler: Paollo's guards brainwashed into actors]]. |
| 390 | * IDontWantToRuinOurFriendship: Apparently, Alice got this a lot, which is why she's so dissapointed when Riley says he has to leave. |
| 391 | * IfOnlyYouKnew: Clair is introduced playing pretend (she does that a lot). Namely, she's pretending to rescue a princess from "an evil cyborg king". [[spoiler: This takes place about ten hours before Snow lands on her home island to take her, and less than twenty hours before she siccs her {{golem}}s at him]]. |
| 392 | * IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer: |
| 393 | ** Alice's brother Lio, to Riley, when she's leaving Quillotia with the team. |
| 394 | --->'''Riley''': If I let anything happen to her, I'll hand you the club. |
| 395 | ** [[spoiler: Uru, while they're under siege in book 9 and killing time]] feels enough of a big brother for Credenza to do this to Raven. The conversation derails, though. |
| 396 | * IKnowYouAreInThereSomewhereFight: Played with when Raven confronts [[spoiler:a ravens(plural)-possessed Benjamin. His conversation has less to do with convincing the already convinced Benjamin, and more with [[BatmanGambit goading his possessors into letting him out]], so Raven can slip him a counter-spell he can use to block them.]] |
| 397 | * ImaginaryFriend: Clair's only playmate, Benjamin. [[spoiler: Who is a NotSoImaginaryFriend, actually.]] |
| 398 | * ImCryingButIDontKnowWhy: Blitz does it several times. [[spoiler: Turns out that he cries when Anthony's memories of his wife are close to resurfacing, like when he dreams about her or hears a song she liked.]] |
| 399 | * ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler:Snow runs Blitz through during the final battle, resulting in OnlyMostlyDead]]. |
| 400 | * ImpoverishedPatrician: Anthony in the backstory, because he wanted to MarryForLove and his aristocratic clan didn't approve, hence estrangement and getting cut off from the money. %%it's plot important |
| 401 | * InelegantBlubbering: Credenza breaking down in tears after [[spoiler: their meeting with Dragonfly and his subsequent death]]. Raven, still on shaky ground when it comes to emotions at the point, in all seriousness makes an ImprovisedCross with his fingers. |
| 402 | -->'''Raven''': Oh fine, I'd be upset too if I had fluid leaking out of my head. |
| 403 | * InLoveWithYourCarnage: %%is it really this trope? |
| 404 | ** Riley sprouts lots of little hearts watching the "three time champion of the Ladies of Quillotia Wrestling Federation and Book Club" in action. The two of them get another moment later on, when he attempts to propose to her. |
| 405 | ** [[spoiler:A familial example with Snow and Yula, her father's daughter through and through.]] |
| 406 | ** [[spoiler:Tuff for Cassie, when Cassie starts breaking golem heads with rocks.]] |
| 407 | * InnocentInaccurate: Clair's account of how [[spoiler: she met Benjamin]] is a bit simplified, with the appropriate ArtShift. |
| 408 | * InsideJob: [[spoiler: The ravens who try to take over in Quillotia have actually been put in place in advance, by possessing citizens in positions of power. The coup just gets speeded up because the Great Raven's plans are coming to a head.]] |
| 409 | %%* InstantBandages: Happens a lot. %%does it? examples? |
| 410 | * InsultToRocks: According to Snow, comparing Vaniji [[spoiler: actually, a shapeshifted Han, and Snow is strongly implied to know that]] to chopped liver would be an insult to dog food. |
| 411 | * IntelligentGerbil: Unlike most archipelagian races, the seranith are non-humanoid, but fully sentient and very intelligent. They mostly resemble fluffy, feathered [[UsefulNotes/PrehistoricLifeBirdlikeTheropods raptor]] dinosaurs, roughly man-sized, with a [[TuftOfHeadFur mane of feathers/hair on their heads]]. Personality-wise, they are loyal and generally friendly, and they [[HalfDressedCartoonAnimal don't wear many clothes]], being covered with feathers. |
| 412 | * InterspeciesRomance: Fairly common. Avian men are infamously infatuated with women of all species, Tuff and Riley were born from one, and Mikel's wife Deliza is a beast woman. [[spoiler: Anthony's family were opposed to his marriage to Chesska on the grounds that she's been a half-dragon and thus concubine material at best.]] |
| 413 | * InstantMessengerPigeon: The poot owls, bird-shaped magical messengers that presumably function much better than an ordinary pigeon. Unfortunately, they can be intercepted or destroyed by enemy magic. |
| 414 | * InvisibleToNormals: Spirits, most of the time. In the underworld, however, they're visible because of background magical field being so strong there. Experimental griffin [[GogglesDoSomethingUnusual goggles]] also allow one to see spirits. |
| 415 | -->'''Raven''': Very few people can see spirits like me. I still don't know how Credenza can. There must be an incredible amount of magical energy down here to make me visible to everyone. |
| 416 | %% nope, he never shifts until giving in to it * InvoluntaryShapeshifting: [[spoiler:Tuff, sadly. He gains some control over it, but he can still be triggered into going full shark.]] |
| 417 | * IOweYouMyLife: Blitz, to Credenza, out of thanks for giving him a name (hence, sorting out his identity). She's reluctant about that, but gladly agrees to be his friend. |
| 418 | * IronicAllergy: Inverted. Healers are immune to their own powers. |
| 419 | %%needs explanation * IronicEcho: 'It's only okay when ''you'' do it.' |
| 420 | * JustBetweenYouAndMe: |
| 421 | ** [[spoiler: Captain Syn]] takes a moment to gloat in book 1. |
| 422 | ** [[spoiler: Han-as-Vaniji, when preparing to kill Knull]], tells him exactly what he's done in the backstory. [[spoiler: To Lucinda. Who, unbeknownst to him, hears it all]]. |
| 423 | -->'''[[spoiler: Han back in his default form]]''': Oh, when he found out I was disguised as his friend, I had to kill him. Which reminds me... take a guess at why I'm not scared of telling you all this? |
| 424 | * KillAndReplace: [[spoiler:Han is a shapeshifter with absolutely no morals and inexplicable desire to be on Snow's boat, whether Snow lets him in or not]]. So he casually offs [[spoiler:Vaniji]] to take his place. Snow, however, seems to work our what happened pretty quickly and not really care. |
| 425 | * KirkSummation: Since a large and important part of the final battle takes part in the world of dreams, and is waged with words, images and magic, it's only natural that Credenza sums Snow up: |
| 426 | -->'''Credenza''': Is this what you see in the mirror? Is this the lie you tell yourself so your actions make sense? You're not a lion just staying true to its predatory nature. You aren't a spoiled child who doesn't know any better! You grew up into a man who could have had all the friends in the world, if you chose to see us as real people. But you'd rather play all alone by yourself, if it means you can be the king of the toy box.\ |
| 427 | '''Snow''' (smirks): [[ShutUpKirk You say all this like I'm the unreasonable one]]. |
| 428 | * LectureAsExposition: [[spoiler: Chesska's class]] in a {{Flashback}} explains some points on [=AI=] nature, particularly that they're LostTechnology and they have souls. |
| 429 | %% too vague * LifeEnergy: One source of magic. |
| 430 | %% not this trope, it's Shadomandyr queen's skull being pulverised* LightIsNotGood: Played for laughs. -->'''Riley:''' [[http://thearchipelago.smackjeeves.com/comics/1907299/book-3-page-80/ Look! It's like snow, only it's pure evil.]] |
| 431 | * LikeBrotherAndSister: Uru and Credenza. Raven has his doubts about that, but ultimately learns they really are. |
| 432 | %% to character page * LongHairedPrettyboy: Han |
| 433 | * LongLived: Dragons live about ten times longer and age ten times slower than humans. Kroft is stated in dialogue to be over 700 and he calls a two-hundred-something dragon "young". |
| 434 | * LotusEaterMachine: One of the lynchpin dreams in the Maze of Dreams isn't a surreal, symbolic nightmare, but a realistic, quiet [[TheFinalTemptation vision of a mundane, happy life the dreamer thinks they could never have]]. This dream seems to pose the most difficulties for Credenza. [[spoiler: Snow has the most influence on it, actively distracting the dreamer.]] |
| 435 | * LouisCypher: The man who broke Lucinda's heart was named [[BilingualBonus Corveau]] [[note]]That's French for "Raven"...[[/note]]. |
| 436 | * LosingAShoeInTheStruggle: Credenza loses her shoes while drowning in book 2 and remains barefoot for the entirety of book 3. She also loses a shoe fighting scraptors and spends the rest of book 5 wearing just one. [[spoiler: This results in twisting her ankle at an inopportune moment.]] Later, [[BrickJoke the shoe is seen being used by magical mice as a boat]]. |
| 437 | * LossOfIdentity: A shipwrecked man rescued from the beach by our protagonist wakes up in the Burilla inn with no idea who he is or where he comes from. Credenza names him Blitz. Soon after his ship lands on the island and we learn Blitz's name used to be [[spoiler: Anthony Solair]], but he's definitely not the same person, his demeanor and mannerisms completely different. This turns out to be a bit more complicated later on. |
| 438 | * LowCultureHighTech: The various cultures of the Archipelago are decidedly rustic and old-timey, with an 1800s-ish seafaring aesthetic. Yet nearly all inhabitants have access to submarines and various other modern-day conveniences, either biomechanical or magical in nature, courtesy of the {{Precursors}}. |
| 439 | %% moved* TheLostLenore: |
| 440 | * LoveConfession: |
| 441 | ** Riley to Alice, twice. First, when frantically [[ConverseWithTheUnconscious searching for her in the rubble]] in Quillotia, second when [[spoiler: she gets her soul back and he tells her how much he loves her. Then he proposes and she says yes.]] |
| 442 | ** Raven's is somewhat atypical, as he announces to the world he loves Credenza [[spoiler: in order to distract the villains from Blitz sneaking up on them to rescue her]]. But she can hear everything, and he's being quite honest. |
| 443 | ** Credenza's confession to him, however, is understated in words, but means the world to them both emotionally. |
| 444 | --->'''Credenza''': You're worth my time. I want to spend it with you. However much we have left. |
| 445 | * LoveAtFirstPunch: Cassie and Tuff's first meeting starts with her kicking him (in his "monster" form). He's instantly smitten. |
| 446 | * LovedOnesMontage: A short one of Paollo's [[spoiler: when he lets Credenza borrow his good memories to break out of dream prison Snow locked her in. Later, during the final confrontation, she gets a proper, long one of her own memories of growing up with the Burillas and of all her boys]]. |
| 447 | * LuminescentBlush: Usually as CrushBlush. |
| 448 | * MagicPants: Mild and justified for beastmen (who tend to enter battles wearing only magic pants and no shirts). According to WordOfGod, there are actually pants designed with extra 'flies' and expanding seams, specifically for beast-men - Tuff begins to wear these somewhere around book 7. Dragons don't need them, though, as they spontaneously create magical clothes when they transform into humans. Snow thinks this is Alice's RequiredSecondaryPowers, since her clothes change size with her (he would notice something like that). |
| 449 | * MajorInjuryUnderreaction: |
| 450 | ** Snow's reactions to getting injured are either passing out wordlessly or an annoyed sigh. Then again, the arm immediately rebuilds whatever body parts he lost. |
| 451 | ** Her shoulder is bleeding thanks to kick-back from a powerful magical cannon, and this is all Lucinda has to say when someone frantically offers to patch her up. |
| 452 | --->'''Lucinda''': Thank you. It is incredibly painful. |
| 453 | * MalignedMixedMarriage: Tuff and Riley's parents didn't have it as bad as they could, but still. [[spoiler: Anthony and Chesska couldn't get married in the first place without getting estranged from his extremely snobby family.]] |
| 454 | * ManlyTears: |
| 455 | ** Riley upon [[spoiler: getting reunited with Alice when they recover her soul]]. He's generally a fairly weepy guy. |
| 456 | ** [[spoiler: Raven when he works out what's really going on in the Maze of Dreams and later when he thinks Blitz is dead - he cries together with Credenza.]] |
| 457 | * MessyHair: Almost all the male good guys in varying degrees. |
| 458 | * MindControlEyes: [[spoiler: Simon when openly possessed by Shadomandyr Queen]] has black swirls instead of eyes. |
| 459 | * AMindIsATerribleThingToRead: The accomplished hypnotist Vaniji tries it on [[spoiler:Blitz]] and gets sucker-punched with DarkAndTroubledPast. |
| 460 | -->'''Raven:''' Broke into the wrong brain, didn't you? [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} He]] looks all frail and frightened, but he has a mind that will swallow you up before it lets you take over. Take it from me, more powerful minds than yours have tried. |
| 461 | * MindRape: |
| 462 | ** Vaniji's preffered method of handling his underlings. |
| 463 | ** Snow has always been fond of mundane mind games, but stealing Paollo's power and learning [[DreamWalker dream]] [[DreamWeaver magic]] opens up an entire new world of fun for him. |
| 464 | --->'''Snow''': Oh, but with Paollo's magic I see so much around me! This army is filled with dreams. The dreams of maniacs, wanderers, lost souls... |
| 465 | * MirrorCharacter: Both Credenza and Snow are (or were) normal humans with negligible magical gifts, who lost their parents, had a dramatic, traumatic experience (death for Snow, and Snow for Credenza), were granted artifacts and powers from the BigGood and BigBad respectively, and often fall back on who they were before their careers as hero and villain - Snow out of pride, Credenza in humility. Where Credenza is able to build people up, Snow breaks them. %% is Snow Magnetic? he's not; |
| 466 | * MixAndMatchCritters: Sealunks, manticores and other strange animals abound, especially in the earliest pages. Paper Island has fluffy parasaurolophus as cattle, and jabberwocky has an owl mouth, fluffly feathery fur and six bear paws. Many archipelagian [[BeastMan sentients are also mix-and-match]]. |
| 467 | %% don't stretch definitions - delete this * MoralityPet: Stretching the definition almost to the breaking point, but Captain Snow's nephew Knull [[spoiler:and his widow Noemi and their daughter Yulalia, who was born shortly after Snow died.]] |
| 468 | * MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate: Someone was apparently crazy enough to give Snow a doctorate, though his backstory mentions that he was kicked out of med school for proposing an unethical experiment. He's still probably fully trained though. |
| 469 | * MyNameIsInigoMontoya: So maybe she needs someone to hold her up in their arms so she can look the baddie in the eye, but don't go against a part-dragon when there's death on the line. |
| 470 | -->'''Clair''': My name is Clairissin Solair. [[spoiler: The machine we're all living in is named Benjamin, and he's my friend! Your bad bird men are hurting him!]] So you gotta stop. Because anyone left on the island in a few minutes is in big trouble, so you'd better make all your bad bird men go away right this minute! |
| 471 | * MySensorsIndicateYouWantToTapThat: Tin Can Turtle can tell Willium's attracted to ''someone'', so he logically thinks it's the girl in the room, Credenza. It's really Nim, with whom he's just had a [[BelligerentSexualTension scuffle]]. |
| 472 | -->'''Tin Can Turtle''': I smell your reaction to beauty and you've been near someone ''very'' attractive. |
| 473 | * MushroomSamba: |
| 474 | ** The magical smoke in the underworld causes realistic, not funny at all hallucinations in everyone who has lungs: Credenza confronts Snow, the brothers start fighting each other and Blitz sees [[spoiler: Anthony's memories]] |
| 475 | -->'''Blitz''' (crying): I can't die, I need to go home, she needs me. |
| 476 | ** Knull ''thinks'' Lucinda's put something odd in his tea when he has a [[DreamingOfThingsToCome strange dream that foreshadows a certain future event]]. Seeing [[spoiler: Han (who isn't supposed to be on the ship at that point) steal food from the mess then vanish]] only makes him certain of it. [[spoiler: Han was really there.]] |
| 477 | -->'''Knull''': Lucinda! Could you explain exactly what you've been putting in my tea?! |
| 478 | * NarrativeShapeshifting: Listing of Names, being a book, is mute and can only communicate this way. |
| 479 | * NeckSnap: Back in book 2, Tatami discovers you can kill raven servants this way. They are hard to off otherwise. |
| 480 | * NiceJobBreakingItHero: While Benjamin using his one remaining DisintegratorRay shot on Snow is pretty sensible, dumping the dust, which can regenerate FromASingleCell [[spoiler: into his fuel core]] only puts the villain right where he wants to be. |
| 481 | * NinjaPirateZombieRobot: Captain Snow is an undead cyborg pirate king. |
| 482 | * NoMoreHoldingBackSpeech: After [[spoiler: Olivia gives her advice, reassurance and energy]], Credenza decides she's done hiding. Cue planning the final battle. |
| 483 | -->'''Credenza''': We're going to get the heirs back. And then I'm going to plant my foot in Snow's face. |
| 484 | %%moved * NonActionGuy: Knull. Snow keeps him around for his AntiMagic, as an armorer, and because he can brew an ''excellent'' cup of tea. |
| 485 | * NonSequiturThud: %%more examples? |
| 486 | ** The nameless (as of yet) castaway on the very first pages concludes his understandably confused and crazy rant with: |
| 487 | -->I can't... I can't feel my wings. |
| 488 | ** Then he passes out. Subverted in that the comment makes ''perfect'' sense once we know [[spoiler: a), it's Raven talking (he has wings) and b) even if it were Blitz talking, he also has wings, just not in his human body]]. |
| 489 | ** A little later: |
| 490 | -->'''Tin-Can Turtle:''' Nnn... Willium, go take out the cookies, I hear the oven timer. |
| 491 | * NoodleIncident: |
| 492 | ** According to Credenza, an evil spirit taking advantage of her good heart has only happened once, to date. |
| 493 | ** According to Paolin, Raven isn't the ''weirdest'' thing she's brought home... |
| 494 | ** Nim, after [[spoiler:cutting herself and Willium out of the smoldering remains of the Shadomandyr Queen,]] simply states "That was definitely the ''third'' weirdest thing to ever happen to me." |
| 495 | ** We're not sure what happened at Mikel's 21st birthday party, but when he brings it up in comparison with [[spoiler: Snow's attack on Castle Quillotia, after which parts of said castle are turned into rubble]], you know it has to have been crazy. |
| 496 | ** Tuff says Mikel has lost a game of chess to an ''iguana'' once. Mikel claims the iguana was enchanted and it cheated. |
| 497 | ** Even Snow has Noodle Incidents in his past: |
| 498 | --->'''Snow''': Ha! You think a trapdoor is enough to intimidate me?! Half of my fondest childhood memories involve trapdoors! |
| 499 | ** Apparently Kor made Charlie wear a funny hat once and took pictures. |
| 500 | ** How Uru ended up captured by pirates in his youth: |
| 501 | --->'''Uru''': There was this one time with a crew of pirates where all I had was a dressmaker's dummy and a few drinking songs... |
| 502 | * NotUsingTheZWord: The Darkeyes. Not all of them are actually dead bodies, as Snow can form them from whatever material is handy, but they ''look'' like human corpses. Later on they're explicitly called [[ImprovisedGolems golems]]. |
| 503 | * NotQuiteDead: Snow, all the freaking time, because it specifically says so in his deal with the Great Raven that he can't die - whenever it ''looks'' like he died, and there's several instances, he just casually gets up again (not always immediately, though). Until, of course, he's properly and finally killed, although Raven isn't absolutely sure there won't be surprises. %% NotQuiteDead only covers villains! |
| 504 | * OceanMadness: [[spoiler: Anthony]] was already going mad as it was, hopeless on his little raft with no land in sight, when a raven spirit landed beside him and offered him a DealWithTheDevil. |
| 505 | * OceanPunk: Submarines are the go-to mode of transport on the Archipelago. SubmarinePirates are a real danger, weresharks and wereorcas are a fairly common sight and quite a lot of the denizens' lives revolves around sailing, fishing and other marine activities. |
| 506 | * OhCrap: |
| 507 | ** Han's expression when [[BullyingADragon Tuff finally snaps]] [[spoiler: and transforms]]. |
| 508 | --->'''Tuff''': Please go on... Tell me more about how you were planning to kill my brother. |
| 509 | ** Credenza, when realising the [[DemBones animated wereshark skeletons]] attack was just a distraction... |
| 510 | ** Vaniji, seeing [[spoiler:his cane about to be destroyed]]. |
| 511 | ** Credenza [[spoiler: hearing Snow's voice at the worst possible moment (book 10, pg 40)]]. |
| 512 | * OnePersonOnePower: A side effect of the [[PersonalityPowers nature of magic]] in the Archipelago. Most magic-users have one signature ability (a major exception is Clair, who has [[ComboPlatterPowers two]]). |
| 513 | * OneWingedAngel: |
| 514 | ** [[spoiler: Lucinda, after learning Han was Corveau, goes on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge against him. When he stabs her, it appears like she died, but suddenly the blood turns black with red swirls, her hair turns black with red streaks, her eyes both turn into black holes and she gets up, covered in magic tendrils. Knull tries to talk her down, but Lucinda "only has the strenght for this one final thing".]] |
| 515 | ** [[spoiler: Snow merges with the Exigo and ''eats'' the Great Raven to become a {{Robeast}} with something very badly put together inside that battles our heroes, even as Raven explains to him that body is not viable (Snow doesn't care).]] |
| 516 | * OnlyMostlyDead: In the final battle, [[spoiler: Snow physically skewers Blitz's heart and crushes his dream form at the same time. He has a genuine near-death experience and is only saved by Olivia's Arm merging with him - when Snow gives it up.]] |
| 517 | * OOCIsSeriousBusiness: |
| 518 | ** While interrogating Knull in book two, the reasonable, friendly Credenza goes nuts at the very suggestion that Snow is alive. Blitz has to ''hold her back''. Unfortunately, Knull is telling the truth. |
| 519 | --->'''Credenza''': YOU'RE LYING! He can't be back! Not after all this time! He's been dead for six years! How dare you mock the hundreds he killed by even suggesting that Captain Snow could return! |
| 520 | ** While recuperating in Tin-Can's kitchen after all the action of book 5, which included [[spoiler: Dragonfly dying in a duel with Great Raven, which she blames herself for, even though he told her not to]], Raven notices Credenza isn't smiling and deduces something's wrong. This leads to an emotional conversation between the two. |
| 521 | ** Lucinda ''[[SymbolSwearing swears]]'' while looking for Tuff in the theatre prop rooms: |
| 522 | --->'''Lucinda''': I only saw him for a moment, but I'd recognize that man anywhere. That sharkman. That animal. That false reader. That %@$!&?* who stole my book. |
| 523 | ** She's generally NotSoStoic where the Listing of Names is concerned. |
| 524 | ** [[EmotionlessGirl Lucinda's]] final VillainousBreakdown begins with LaughingMad. And this is only the beginning. |
| 525 | * OrphanageOfLove: The nunnery on the Hidden Island. |
| 526 | %% find better trope? found, delete this * OrphansPlotTrinket: Credenza's hair tie, a little. |
| 527 | * OurDragonsAreDifferent: WordOfGod sorts them into four major tribes, with distinctive physical traits: Summer ([[PlayingWithFire fire breath]]), Fall ([[DeadlyGas poison]]), Winter ([[AnIcePerson ice]]), and Spring ([[PoisonIsCorrosive acid]]). The first dragon we're properly introduced to, Kroft, is a Winter dragon, and [[spoiler:Anthony/Blitz]] is a Summer dragon. They all [[{{Weredragon}} can shapeshift into a human form]]. At least some of them form clans that view [[FantasticRacism everyone else (especially half-dragons) with disdain]]. |
| 528 | * OurMonstersAreDifferent: If it weren't for their six limbs and weird retractable [[Franchise/{{Alien}} Xenomorph]] mouth, Jabberwockies could pass as [[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons owlbears]]. |
| 529 | * OurSoulsAreDifferent: They can be removed from bodies, but then cover themselves with a protective layer of magic and look like a chibi representation of the person. Most of disembodied souls can't speak, but they all exhibit emotions and drive like normal and generally want to get back home (a soulless body only keeps the vegetative functions). |
| 530 | * OurWerebeastsAreDifferent: Were-beasts are an everyday sight in this setting, and often casually referred to as such, when they're not [[FantasticRacism slingning slurs]] in each other's direction (weresharks and wereorcas, for instance, have a long-standing feud). Known races include [[CatGirl werecats]] (like Tabitha and Lydia), werehyenas and other canines (Kurr), [[SharkMan weresharks]] (Tuff and Riley are half-weresharks), and wereorcas (Uru). There are also some non-were beast man species as well, who seem to have obvious animal features prominently integrated into their humanoid forms, like avian (bird-men) wings. Since this is AfterTheEnd, there are strong hints that at least some of those were engineered by the precursor civilisation as living weapons. |
| 531 | * OverclockingAttack: During that fateful party in Quillotia Raven and Credenza figure out they could stop Knull's stopping everyone from using their powers to fight back by overloading them. It does work, although a bit more destructively than intended. [[spoiler: And more creatively, since this triggers Raven's eventual embodying.]] |
| 532 | * PainfulTransformation: Were-beasts who lack certain RequiredSecondaryPowers, such as the half-breed Luck brothers. [[spoiler: Tuff receives said powers as a gift from Dragonfly. Riley... doesn't. When he tries to transform in rage, Snow wants to give him a MercyKill.]] |
| 533 | * PaintingTheMedium: |
| 534 | ** Each character has a specific font in their speech balloons to represent their "voice." |
| 535 | ** When Vaniji is brainwashing someone, the [[CompellingVoice font in his]] SpeechBubbles [[CompellingVoice becomes the color of his magic]]. |
| 536 | ** When Tuff [[HulkingOut transforms]] in book 7, he walks in front of panel borders, and even grabs one as if to break it. |
| 537 | --->'''Author''': Sharktuff will not by contained by your puny comic borders! |
| 538 | ** Characters in murderous rage (or demons) get a heavy, shakily misaligned font. |
| 539 | ** [[spoiler: Lucinda's]] whispered (or possibly said in a very "small", flat tone of voice?) LastWords are printed really tiny in a huge white space. |
| 540 | ** Several instances of LittleNo are also printed tiny, almost unreadable, in the middle of a white space. |
| 541 | ** So are Raven's whispered words inside the Maze of Dreams. |
| 542 | ** When Credenza is whispering in the Maze, her font becomes grey instead of black. |
| 543 | %% they have them in universe ** People with a raven spirit are drawn with red eyes. |
| 544 | * PalatePropping: The group attempts to defeat Shadomandyr Queen by taunting her until she tries to eat Credenza, propping her jaws open with a plank and pulling the host out. [[spoiler: They only manage to destroy the skull demon was inhabiting, though, and now she's all in Simon.]] |
| 545 | * ParentalAbandonment: Apart from the characters whose parents were explicitly murdered by Snow in the backstory (Credenza and Knull): |
| 546 | ** Tuff and Riley's wereshark father disappeared before the twins were born, and their mother took off to try to find him once they turned sixteen. |
| 547 | ** Clair's mother [[DeathByChildbirth died in childbirth]] and her father went to sea to earn money, only to dissappear without a trace. [[spoiler: And become Blitz, so he's not coming back.]] |
| 548 | * ParentsAsPeople: Anthony Solair does love his daughter, and his decision to keep as far away as possible from his clan, who would treat her (and [[MalignedMixedMarriage Anthony's wife]], too) like dirt (because she's not 100% pure blood dragon) is sensible, even if his exact way of doing this leads to financial problems. He's also unable to care for her because of a genuine case of depression, then [[spoiler: DeathOfPersonality]]. |
| 549 | * PassThePopcorn: [[spoiler: The town callers sit in the audience, eating popcorn and commenting, as Kor and Snow's duel gets out of the prop room and onto the stage]]. |
| 550 | * PeopleJars: [[spoiler: Dragonfly is in one of these when the gang finds him. It's his life-support system and he dies after leaving it.]] |
| 551 | * PerfectlyArrangedMarriage: Mikal and Deliza were brought together by their parents, and at first they weren't interested in each other at all, but they shared a common interest in dancing and finally started opening up to each other. It still took Deliza a while to actually marry him, but by the time of the story they're both in love and expecting their first child. |
| 552 | * PersonalityPowers: Most people's magic is expressed in some way reflective of their unconscious self and the associations they make with their magic, and cannot consciously change their power any more than most people can consciously change their own personality. |
| 553 | * PersonaNonGrata: Tuff and Riley got kicked out of Hidden Island once. They both think it was because of Tuff's... [[UnsuspectinglySoused weak head]], but Tabitha explains that it was actually because Riley [[CasanovaWannabe kept hitting on the girls there]]. They're allowed back in, though. The brothers are also afraid of getting this treatment in Quillotia, but [[spoiler: Mikel, who happens to be their cousin as well as the king, doesn't really care that they stole his sub.]] |
| 554 | * PetBabyWildAnimal: According to Paolin, Credenza has brought countless dangerous beasts home, [[ChronicHeroSyndrome because they were injured]]. |
| 555 | * PictorialSpeechBubble: |
| 556 | ** When a pandorian healer is fussing over Credenza after a fight, she makes her drink some sort of a medicine. Credenza's thought bubble has an image of a pissing doggy. |
| 557 | ** Spindle's imagination gives him a very concrete image of a [[{{Telefrag}} teleportation accident]] that could happen if tired Clair teleports herself, him and Blitz one more time. |
| 558 | * PleaseWakeUp: Clair's first reaction to [[spoiler: Holly's]] death. %%quote? |
| 559 | * PlotTriggeringDeath: Depending on how you look at it, Chesska's death kickstarts the plot. [[spoiler: If she hadn't died, Anthony probably wouldn't have gone off to the sea, got marooned, possessed by a Raven and lost his mind, turning into Blitz, wouldn't meet Credenza, and cause her to leave the island by sneaking aboard Paollo's submarine.]] |
| 560 | * PowerFloats: Credenza's magic overload lifts her a good couple of meters above the floor. |
| 561 | * PowerGivesYouWings: Willium's cards grant him functional magical wings. Raven spirits also grant wings of this type, but they only get big enough to fly when there's adrenaline flowing (like in battle, or when the raven is falling from a height and needs to land safely). |
| 562 | * PowerOfLove: Memories of love are, as Paollo explains, a powerful protection in the dream world. Credenza makes good use of his advice. |
| 563 | * PowerOfTrust: Credenza's primary qualification for being a hero isn't strenght of body or of magic, but the ability to both give and inspire trust and loyalty. |
| 564 | -->'''Willium''': She trusted [Luck brothers] when no one else would. I don't think they have ever met anyone like that. |
| 565 | * PowerStrainBlackout: |
| 566 | ** During the ball in Quillotia, the plan is to deliberately overload Knull's AntiMagic ability by using Soul Key, which the characters think is [[AmuletOfConcentratedAwesome the source of Credenza's power]] at the time. Except it's actually an AmplifierArtifact and Credenza, incensed by her anger at Snow, overloads her own magic spectacularily, breaking walls, throwing pirates very far and [[spoiler: temporarily giving Raven a complete, physical WingedHumanoid body]]. After she's stopped, Credenza faints. She then has to spend a couple of days in the infirmary. |
| 567 | ** Clair, after discovering her powers and using them to teleport several people several times ''and'' lead a small army of clay golems against the foe, finally falls asleep in Blitz's arms and he's left carrying her around for a while. |
| 568 | * PreAsskickingOneLiner: %%more examples? |
| 569 | ** Credenza in book 1, to [[spoiler: captain Syn, who's just revealed his plot]] |
| 570 | --->'''Credenza''': Now, I'm a waitress... but I can still kick your fuzzy butt! |
| 571 | ** Kor, when staunchly refusing to be intimidated by Snow: |
| 572 | --->'''Kor''': Toy or not, there's more where that came from, Captain! Let the girl go, I'm the one you want! |
| 573 | ** Cassie, when a dangerous sociopath threatens to hurt her if she doesn't lead him to Clair. |
| 574 | --->'''Cassie''': I say... you shouldn't have grabbed my tail. |
| 575 | ** Uru, when his distraction attempt meets with a fire stick: |
| 576 | --->'''Uru''': Aw, come on! I was having a big awesome moment and you come along with your stupid fire stick and ruin it! You people have no sense of imagination, do you even have a license for that thing?! Uugh, fine! Obviously I can't fool you guys, you want a ''real'' monster. (transforms) Well, you've got one. |
| 577 | * PregnantHostage: [[spoiler: Deliza during Snow's attack on Quillotia; she goes into labor as soon as the battle is over.]] |
| 578 | * ProphecyTwist: Raven's gift from Dragonfly is a vague but unpleasant piece of advice: "you will have to choose between the one you love and the one who made you. You will choose the latter." Since he's been originally created by the [[BigBad Great Raven]], and he's just started to suspect he loves [[TheHero Credenza]], so he thinks he's going to have to betray her. He hates the thought more and more as he's growing into a good person. In the end, it turns out [[spoiler: this is how he is to break out of [[LotusEaterMachine Maze of Dreams]], where he has the choice between remaining with the illusionary Credenza and having love, or staying faithful to the real Credenza's (who made him the person he is) ideals and waking up to save the world, even if he has to do this without her (they've been separated and he thinks she's dead at this point). He must choose the hard truth over pleasant illusion to wake up.]] As explained by a professional FortuneTeller who's had been burned in the past: %%change this in crosswick |
| 579 | -->'''Anansi:''' Prophecies are tricky things. Not that they'll ever lie to you, of course, but they're very easy to misinterpret. After all, a prophecy isn't supposed to make sense until the moment you put it to use. |
| 580 | * PsychopathicManchild: Snow [[InvokedTrope makes himself look as one]] during his BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind against Credenza, [[spoiler: with the toy themed dream. She sees through it]]. |
| 581 | * PunnyName: You know you've had it rough when your name's Tuff Luck. |
| 582 | * PutOnABus: Prince Paollo's guards, after he's kidnapped by Snow, set off to rescue him and are never heard from again [[spoiler:until book 7, when the protagonists go to Paper Island to find Kor and they unexpectedly meet Paollo's guards, brainwashed (or locked up, in Tatami's case) by Vaniji, and unbrainwash them. The [[TheBusCameBack guards join the quest]], mostly because it involves rescuing Paollo.]] |
| 583 | * PutTheirHeadsTogether: |
| 584 | ** First thing Tuff does to stop Han's SpotTheImposter in its tracks is knocking both "Rileys" heads together. |
| 585 | ** Later, Uru does it to some ravens. |
| 586 | ** [[spoiler: Alice's soul]] and her wiggly, tentacly vines vs. Steller and his harpies. She wins by quadruple knock-out. |
| 587 | * TheQuest: Credenza and her boys are entrusted by Dragonfly with the task of finding the six heirs [[VillainsActHeroesReact before the villains do]], to prevent the Great Raven from being released. |
| 588 | * TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: |
| 589 | ** Riley's attempt at InspirationalInsult towards the Listing of Names, since it doesn't work: |
| 590 | --->'''Riley''': You! Yeah, I'm talking to you. You petty excuse for a church pamphlet! Now's the time when you're finally needed, the purpose you were made for, and you're wimping out on us? Any one of the wonderful girls here would be happy to be your reader! After trying to take care of your sorry carcass, no wonder Lucy broke down! |
| 591 | ** Credenza thinks Vaniji's excuse is a load of bull: |
| 592 | --->'''Vaniji''': I'm just doing what I must to stay alive, Anansi. Compared to men like Snow, I'm practically a saint!\ |
| 593 | '''Credenza''': Actually, you just might be the worst of the lot.\ |
| 594 | '''Vaniji''': Excuse me?\ |
| 595 | '''Credenza''': Snow and his crew are governed by the Raven. The Raven has no hold on you, you could do the right thing. But you chose to ally yourself with pirates and murderers! To turn good men and women into your slaves. Snow came for Kor's soul, but already has yours in the palm of his hand. He owns you, Vaniji. |
| 596 | ** Raven's given one by a raven spirit [[spoiler: in the first dream he has in his life, so he's essentially giving ''himself'' a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech]]: |
| 597 | --->'''raven spirit''': Sad traitor Raven... sitting all alone, like the pathetic wretch he is. Pouring wine he can't drink... pining after women he can never have. |
| 598 | ** Spindle has five years of pent-up anger at Anthony and releases them all at Blitz (who looks exactly alike, minus the eye). |
| 599 | -->'''Spindle''': If you thought you'd earn my trust looking like that, guess again! Before [[spoiler: his wife died]], Anthony was a good master, and a good person! But then his heart got broken and he let himself fall apart! He let EVERYTHING fall apart! Did it matter that the rest of us were in mourning too? Did it matter that we were struggling every day to make ends meet while he SLEPT for two years?! No! He decided he didn't want to live anymore, and he was happy to let the rest of us fall with him! Maybe you are some kind of ghost, sent to help Clair in her time of need. If that's the case, then it's the first kind thing you'll have ever done for her. |
| 600 | * RedGreenContrast: BigGood is strongly associated with color green, TheBigBad with red. Their champions (Credenza and Snow) use green and red magic, respectively. Soul Key, a good artifact, is green, while the raven spirits have red eye pupils and red patterns on their magical wings. |
| 601 | * RedOniBlueOni: The Luck brothers, Riley being enthusiastic about [[BoisterousBruiser fights]] and [[CasanovaWannabe girls]], friendly and a fairly uncomplicated bloke with his heart on his sleeve, while Tuff is a thoughtful, somewhat brooding TheSmartGuy of the group, EmotionallyTongueTied around girls he likes and terribly AfraidOfTheirOwnStrength. |
| 602 | * RedRightHand: Take note of anyone who is covering their left eye, especially if they didn't used to. Then again, most raven spirits can hide the Red Left Eye, at least when they're not terrified for their lives. |
| 603 | * RedStringOfFate: Riley's gift from [[BigGood Dragonfly]] - [[SmellsSexy the scent of his mate]], leads him straight to Alice Pintur, [[spoiler:who also turns out to be an heir]]. |
| 604 | * RefusedByTheCall: Villainous example: a raven by the name of Steller is unsure why The Great Raven passed him over in favor of choosing [[FauxAffablyEvil Captain Snow]] as his herald. Snow, on the other hand, sees [[BigBadWannabe right through him]]. |
| 605 | -->'''Snow''': ...a beggar boy with a loud mouth and no friends who was promised the world in exchange for his soul. |
| 606 | * RetiredMonster: [[spoiler:The true Great Raven. Being stuck in an orb cut off from everything turned him from an omnicidal maniac into a tiny, dying bird who had only his regrets to think about. Shortly after this is revealed, Snow [[TheStarscream devours him]].]] |
| 607 | %% moved to character page * ReverseGrip: Raven's prefered method of holding a knife. |
| 608 | * RightNowMontage: Every now and then, when a day is spent on the sub and nothing plotty happens, there is an assortment of panels with sub's crew each doing their own thing: having tea, reading, talking, napping and so on. One nice (if somewhat spoilery) example would be book 8, page 10, en route to Penumbra Island. |
| 609 | * TheRival: Nim Ru and Willum Drake. He's a ConsummateProfessional monster hunter who despises her enthusiastic, BloodKnight at times approach to the job. She thinks he's against her taking a shot at it for chauvinistic reasons. They do resolve their differences and learn to appreciate each other's help. |
| 610 | * RewatchBonus: There are a number of foreshadowing events/telling dialogue that make significantly more sense or give much more impact on the second read. Notable examples include: |
| 611 | ** Blitz's first words to Credenza sound crazy and disoriented, which is perfectly understandable in the circumstances, but later it becomes clear that [[spoiler:the person speaking was in fact, not Blitz, but ''Raven'' who, after his possession attempt went horribly wrong, is in even more shock than Blitz, and trying frantically to escape his broken host who [[TrappedInTheHost inadvertently trapped Raven]] in his head]]. |
| 612 | --> "Where, I, I can't, it hurts! Make it stop, get me out! Something's gone wrong! …It's not supposed to be like this… I think I'm scared… I can't… [[NonSequiturThud I can't feel my wings]]…" |
| 613 | ** Almost every moment with Charlie [[spoiler: before he is revealed to be Uru]]. A notable insight: [[spoiler: whenever he sees her, he does his best to call Credenza by name, ever since the first time they meet. Other attempted words include: on page 37, 'shark' (notable because were-whales have an almost instinctive hatred of were-sharks) and, on page 81, 'Snow'.]] |
| 614 | ** Blitz's reactions to Kroft, the quillotian dragon, make significantly more sense [[spoiler: once it is revealed that Blitz himself is a dragon]]. |
| 615 | * RunningGag: |
| 616 | ** TheRant: "If you support *insert topic relevant to the current strip here*, vote for Archipelago!" |
| 617 | ** Kor has a "drinking problem." In that events tend to make him [[FunnyBackgroundEvent drop his drink almost immediately after he gets one]]. |
| 618 | * SavedByThePlatformBelow: Happens to Credenza twice: in the underworld (when the railing she's leaning against breaks, but she's caught on [[spoiler: random thick electrical wires]], and later on Paper Island (when she's purposefully thrown over a railing into some trees). Both times Raven attempts to catch her before she falls but can't. |
| 619 | * ScarsAreForever: |
| 620 | ** Blitz's entire torso is covered in scars that date back to the very first page, when he washed up on the beach all cut up. |
| 621 | ** [[spoiler:Both Credenza and Knull suffer real-life injuries after their time in the dream world, which are stated to be permanent.]] |
| 622 | * ScaryShinyGlasses: Of all people, ''Holly'' gets them for one panel where she's [[spoiler: CharacterShilling Snow (being completely under his thumb)]]. |
| 623 | * SceneryCensor: When [[spoiler: Credenza's magic overload gives Raven a full physical body for a moment, before he turns back to his spirit form]], he's of course stark naked (and calls for pants as soon as he realises that). The smoke from the explosion obscures everything indecent, though. |
| 624 | * SealedEvilInACan: The Great Raven has been sealed using the souls of six willing people from all around the Archipelago and can only be unsealed using the souls of their descendants. |
| 625 | * SelfMadeOrphan: Captain Snow. Per WordOfGod, he murdered them to see if he'd feel anything doing so (he didn't). Also by WordOfGod, Han, who [[WhereIWasBornAndRazed murdered his entire village]]. |
| 626 | * SeriouslyScruffy: Tuff while deciphering the journal just won't sleep, eat or shower before he gets it done. |
| 627 | * ServantRace: The Seranith are a matriarchal servant race, but they don't serve blindly and consider it important to have a good master. From their point of view, they adopt a human into their care, and if they don’t feel fulfilled they’ll simply leave and find another master. [[spoiler: If Raven’s vision is anything to go by, the Seranith used to be completely subservient to humans and had mechanical implants to suppress their free will. After the civilization fell, the Seranith evolved into a free species who are coded with the drive to serve others at their own discretion.]] |
| 628 | %% move to character page * SenseFreak: [[spoiler: Raven]] is very interested in taste. |
| 629 | * ShapeshifterGuiltTrip: Han's EstablishingCharacterMoment back in book 2 is approaching [[spoiler: Tatami in the guise of a wounded Paollo to tell him Tatami failed]] and stabbing him when distracted. |
| 630 | ** His final attempt at guilt-tripping someone doesn't do him any good, however, because [[spoiler: Lucinda's long past being reasoned with]]. It turns into a ShapeshifterSwanSong where he changes into [[spoiler:Knull, whom Lucinda wouldn't hurt, Tabitha, her old mentor, then the form he seduced her in, and finally, at Lucinda's behest, shows his true form.]] |
| 631 | %% delete SharkMan |
| 632 | * SheCleansUpNicely: Credenza, at the royal dinner in Quillotia. %%elaborate? |
| 633 | * ShipperOnDeck: When Riley gives Alice the ShutUpKiss, right in front of a bunch of masonmages, they applaud. |
| 634 | * ShoutOut: |
| 635 | ** Prince Paollo quotes a Music/TheBeatles song and ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}''. |
| 636 | ** Snow reads [[Creator/EdgarAllanPoe Poe's]] "Conqueror Worm" to [[spoiler:his daughter Yulalia.]] |
| 637 | ** Credenza sings "That's Amore" and "Somewhere Out There." |
| 638 | ** Also, while [[spoiler:Dragonfly]] is handing out gifts, Blitz says: [[Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz Do you have anything in your bag for ME Mr. Wizard?]] |
| 639 | ** In the flashback to how Tuff got UnsuspectinglySoused, he's yelling things about [[Literature/TheMetamorphosis Gregor Samsa]]. |
| 640 | ** Vaniji [[spoiler: actually, Han, who really isn't a CulturedBadass]] misquotes ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}''. |
| 641 | ** Cassie quotes Literature/TheBible: "Where your treasure is, your heart will be also". |
| 642 | ** On that note, Snow is one of those villains who like to twist biblical concepts (he just killed the person in question who was shielding someone else): |
| 643 | --->'''Snow''': I've heard it said, there's no greater thing one can do than give your life for another. I feel honored to be a part of that. |
| 644 | ** In one of {{The Rant}}s, continuing the RunningGag in a somewhat ironic way: If you support [[Film/MuppetTreasureIsland "sailing for adventure on the big blue wet thing"]], vote for the Archipelago! |
| 645 | ** In [[spoiler: Raven's part of Maze of Dreams, when he "wakes", dream!Credenza]] jokingly asks if his dream [[OffToSeeTheWizard had a wizard and yellow brick road]]. Later, he references ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture''. |
| 646 | * ShowWithinAShow: Vaniji and Kor are introduced presenting and performing in a play called "Cord of Gold," full of flashy magic special effects. It has a McGuffin, lots of {{Flynning}} and Kor seems to be playing a ManipulativeBastard. He quotes it during his dramatic swordfight with Snow in the theatre's storage rooms. |
| 647 | -->'''Kor''' (as Glorifax): Congrats, my boy, congrats! You dealt well with my puppets. However, I suggest you don't try to use force against me. What I lack in physical height, I make up with powers beyond imagination. Luckily, I'm not here to destroy you, but to HELP you! After all, you have what I want, and I have what you need. |
| 648 | * ShutUpHannibal: During the battle over the Listing of Names: |
| 649 | -->'''Snow''': I have Dragonfly's machine. I have the book's reader. Obviously, he has chosen ME as the book's owner. You are not a hero, Credenza, you're only an annoyance. I should kill you, before you really start causing problems.\ |
| 650 | '''Credenza''': Y'know, you're probably right. Maybe Dragonfly meant this power for you. I'm hardly hero material. I'm just a waitress. But that's no reason to stand aside and let you hurt the people whose names are in that book. |
| 651 | * ShutUpKiss: |
| 652 | ** After the big, impressive, chaotic battle of book [[spoiler: 5]]: %%later she breaks down and he comforts her |
| 653 | -->'''Raven''': You humans, you never have a moment of peace, do you? As soon as one drama resolves, another begins. IT NEVER ENDS!\ |
| 654 | '''Credenza''': Raven?\ |
| 655 | '''Raven''': All I want is a life where everything isn't blowing up in my face, but no, I'm stuck with YOUR circus!\ |
| 656 | '''Credenza''': Raaaaven...\ |
| 657 | '''Raven''': This whole world is one big mess! Tell me why you don't all just jump off a cliff like lemmings!\ |
| 658 | she pecks him on the cheek, he [[PostKissCatatonia turns into a blob and a little heart]]\ |
| 659 | '''Credenza''': Anyone else want to question life as we know it? Good! Now let's figure out how to get back home. |
| 660 | ** When Alice starts complaining about how boys CannotSpitItOut, Riley kisses her: |
| 661 | -->'''Alice''': You're perfectly willing to confess undying love when you think I'm dead and can't hear, but when I'm alive and in front of you, you're as shy as an oyster. You don't even-mmph! |
| 662 | * SickeninglySweethearts: Alice and Riley are (metaphorically and then literally) all over each other almost from the moment they meet. When the group leaves the theater after [[ShowWithinTheShow Kor's performance]], these two have to be unglued from each other first. |
| 663 | * SlasherSmile: Of all people, Blitz [[spoiler: as he's just rediscovered his draconic form (that's complicated) thanks to Dragonfly's gift and made short shrift of some scraptors]]. |
| 664 | %%explain? * SlapSlapKiss: From [[spoiler:Noemi, Snow's wife, to Snow]], and followed by another slap. |
| 665 | * SlaveBrand: Captain Snow has one he occasionally uses on slaves or underlings. Credenza has the brand on her arm, Uru on his leg. |
| 666 | %%explain? that's a one-shot joke, delete? * SomethingPerson: PlayedForLaughs. It's the Laundry Pants Man! |
| 667 | %% nope, merging with EmptyShell * TheSoulless: |
| 668 | %% not really this trope, though Credenza wants to travel afterwards * SoWhatDoWeDoNow: Played as counterpart to AndTheAdventureContinues [[spoiler: Defeating Snow leads to new challenges, like rescuing and feeding all of the survivors.]] |
| 669 | * SpellMyNameWithAThe: The Great Raven, partially to avoid confusion with Raven, partially because it sounds cooler. |
| 670 | * SpiderSense: A common trait among beast-men. Riley refers to it as his "Sharky Sense". |
| 671 | * SpikesOfVillainy: The first of Snow's {{mook}}s we see boarding Paollo's sub sports those. |
| 672 | * SpotTheImpostor: |
| 673 | ** Between Riley and [[VoluntaryShapeshifting Han]]. At first, it seems that Tuff figures it out when Han isn't strong enough to carry Riley's {{BFS}}, but... |
| 674 | --->'''Tuff:''' Actually, I only used the sword to distract him. I knew you were real because your pants were unbuttoned. |
| 675 | ** Raven is ''almost'' fooled in the Maze of Dreams. [[spoiler: But when the fake Credenza kisses him, he remebers how the real one's magic feels intermingling with his and he immediately knows.]] |
| 676 | * TheStarscream: Han dabbles, though he mostly limits himself to assuming too much authority in Snow's absence and thinking he could get away with killing Kurr or roughing up Knull. Once or twice, though... [[spoiler:At one point his raven tries to get him to kill Snow, though, given that ravens know full well Snow ''can't die'', one wonders whether the Great Raven had it out for Han...]] |
| 677 | * StartOfDarkness: Snow as a kid took animals apart to see how they worked and because he thought they did nothing useful; a lot of sociopaths in the real world also start by killing animals, so it isn't too much of a stretch. WordOfGod states that he [[spoiler:killed his family]] just to see if he would feel anything while doing so - he didn't. |
| 678 | * StressVomit: Were-shark stomachs being really tough, they're still subject to vomiting from emotional stress. |
| 679 | ** Tuff, when Mikel finds him after [[spoiler: giving in to his shark instincts and killing a number of ravens in Quillotia]]: |
| 680 | --->'''Mikel''': Don't say that Tuff, you've just had a huge shock! That's just the stress talking. So let it out, just let it out...\ |
| 681 | Tuff throws up\ |
| 682 | '''Mikel''': AAAALLL over my shoes. |
| 683 | ** Riley throws up after [[spoiler: getting freed from the Maze of Dreams.]] |
| 684 | * StrikeMeDownWithAllOfYourHatred: Snow sounds almost like the [[Franchise/StarWars Emperor]] when [[spoiler: Knull finally decides he's had '''enough'''. Thankfully, the young man is too wise to take the bait]]. |
| 685 | -->'''Snow''': Revenge suits you, [[spoiler: nephew]]. Hate me all you want, if it brings out this energy. |
| 686 | * StrongFamilyResemblance: |
| 687 | ** Credenza looks a lot like her parents (we see them in a {{flashback}}). She also resembles the [[spoiler: younger Dragonfly, and has the same magic. Even her soul has dragonfly wings. And her conversation with Olivia plays out almost like mother and daughter who never had a chance to meet. She also learns to create magical effects similar to Olivia's.]] |
| 688 | ** Knull basically looks like Snow if he was half a life younger and scared out of his wits. [[spoiler: In the "playroom" dream we see a portrait of his two sisters - one of them looks exactly like Knull, just with longer hair. Also, Yulalia is definitely her father's daughter]]. |
| 689 | ** [[spoiler:Clair]] looks a lot like her mother [[spoiler: Chesska]] and her father [[spoiler: Blitz/Anthony]]. |
| 690 | * SubmarinePirates: Submarines being ''the'' archipelagian mode of transport, these are the standard pirates in the setting. Captain Snow and his crew, both in his original pirating days and in the present, are genuine hostes generi humanae (more so in the present, because they're literally working to KillAllHumans), [[CasualDangerDialogue witty banter]] notwithstanding. |
| 691 | * SurpriseInspectionRuse: Credenza gets on board of Paollo's sub (following Raven) by claiming to be inspecting it for moofs. |
| 692 | * SuicideAttack: [[spoiler: Captain Vander, while possessed by a raven, is allowed to think he's FightingFromTheInside. So he sneaks into Willium's house where they are at the moment to kill Tuff and Listing of Names with a steampunk bomb strapped to his chest, because he thinks this would slow the Great Raven down. Actually, as Credenza notes, this would have harmed the heroes more than the villains, and Vander gets [[YouHaveOutlifedYourUsefulness soulsealed]] for his trouble.]] |
| 693 | * SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: While he's still pretending to hold mere mortals in disdain: |
| 694 | -->'''Raven''': Credenza! Is she okay? Is she breathing? She felt kind of still when I held her-\ |
| 695 | '''Tabitha''': Calm down, birdboy, Credenza's alive. Except for a few cuts, she'll be fine. Thanks to you.\ |
| 696 | '''Raven''': (sigh) She's alive. [[DistinctionWithoutADifference Not that I was worried or anything. Was juss... concerned...]] (passes out) |
| 697 | * SuperNotDrowningSkills: Half weresharks can hold their breath underwater for up to ten minutes. They're generally great swimmers. Transformed, weresharks and other fish people outright have gills. |
| 698 | * SymbioticPossession: Blitz and Raven, starting somewhere in book three, up until they get separated for good [[spoiler: in Quillotia]]. |
| 699 | * SymbolSwearing: Occasionally. Bad guys usually swear by symbols, while good guys get GoshDangItToHeck |
| 700 | ** Anansi spouts some when her fortune-telling board isn't cooperating. |
| 701 | ** Lucinda calling Tuff names. |
| 702 | ** Vaniji when his MindRape of Blitz backfires spectacularly. |
| 703 | ** Han gets several proper symbol ''rants'' in [[spoiler: book 8]] (where things just keep going sideways for him). |
| 704 | ** Steller's first reaction to seeing [[spoiler: the Exigo in all its dinosaur-like glory]] is a stunned symbol what-the-heck. |
| 705 | %% move to character page * TalkativeLoon: Blitz again, particularly in the beginning. |
| 706 | * TalkingInYourDreams: [[spoiler:Credenza]] has dream conversations with Paollo (right when she meets him) abbess Tabitha and later [[spoiler:Olivia]], hinting at latent DreamWalker abilities. |
| 707 | * TalkingInYourSleep: |
| 708 | ** Credenza murmurs in her sleep when dreaming about Uru. |
| 709 | ** While having his first nightmare ever, Raven talks in his sleep, alerting Credenza, who wakes him. He takes having had a dream as a definite proof he's becoming human. |
| 710 | -->'''Raven''': I'm not your raven anymore... I'm... human... S... stay away from me! Just stay... stay... away... hnn... |
| 711 | ** [[spoiler: Tatami, his dreaming self in the Maze of Dreams, speaks to Credenza as she walks into the room, turning her attention and dragging her inside, because at this point only she can bring the Maze down.]] |
| 712 | * TapOnTheHead: |
| 713 | ** Raven does this to Credenza on Paollo's sub, then locks her in a closet. She's left a bit woozy and with a killer headache, but with no long-term effects. |
| 714 | ** [[spoiler: When Knull finally turns against him and pushes back with his AntiMagic, Snow just distracts him and brains him with a stone.]] |
| 715 | * TastesBetterThanItLooks: Piskopa. The dish [[spoiler: loved but lost by the Pintur family]], it looks like an ommelette with fish... an entire fish... still moving. [[spoiler: Alice's]] grandmother used to put a layer of breadcrumbs on top, possibly to make it look more appetizing, because in its natural state it's anything but, but apparently tastes heavenly. |
| 716 | ** Also, scrambled eggs for Raven's first meal ever: |
| 717 | --->'''Raven''': Wow. Dead fetal chicken, how can I resist. (tries a spoonful) This... is the food of the gods. |
| 718 | * TeamPet: Credenza's group gains one when Charlie, Kor's pet jabberwocky, just won't be left behind and tags along. He turns out to be immensely useful later on. |
| 719 | * TeleporterAccident: Teleportation is explicitly stated to be a difficult art. |
| 720 | ** When Jan tries to use teleporting spells in book 1, he keeps landing inside things. |
| 721 | ** Offscreen example by Snow, who explains to Steller he's late because he [[TeleFrag got his leg stuck in a tree]] teleporting. It was only his mechanical leg, though, so it wasn't much of an inconvenience. |
| 722 | * ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: [[spoiler:Benjamin]] doesn't think the DisintegratorRay that turns Snow into a pile dust is enough. [[spoiler: So he vacuums up the dust and dumps it into his molten fuel core. It ''still'' isn't enough.]] Notably, none of the characters thinks it's enough, they're just trying to buy time. |
| 723 | * ThemedTattoos: The Luck twins have the quillotian coat-of-arms tattooed on their arms. [[spoiler: That's how Credenza recognizes Riley in the Maze of Dreams.]] |
| 724 | %% not this trope * TheTell: A small example, [[http://thearchipelago.smackjeeves.com/comics/1908076/book-4-page-111/ but a succinct one.]] -->'''Miss Tabitha:''' Oh, please. I live with exactly sixty-five young, hormonal, adolescent girls. I can ''smell'' self-doubt. |
| 725 | %% remove* ThousandYardStare: Those whose souls have been removed from their bodies. |
| 726 | * ThrowingTheDistraction: In book 10, Credenza distracts the insane raven spirits that are searching for her by throwing a sword. |
| 727 | * ThrownDownAWell: [[spoiler: Vaniji, being unable to break Tatami's will, buried him alive underneath the floor. He's found by our heroes just in time.]] |
| 728 | * TinyGuyHugeGirl: Avians average maybe a meter in height. WordOfGod says that a "running joke in the Archipelago is that the only reason the Avians haven't wiped out all competing humanoid races is that they like tall women." |
| 729 | * TooImportantToRememberYou: Invoked. Snow pretends not to remember Alice's name, calling her "the girl" to enrage Riley. |
| 730 | * TransformationTrinket: Dragons use these to switch between their human forms and their dragon forms. Kroft's is a pendant. [[spoiler:Anthony's is his watch.]] |
| 731 | * TranslationConvention: Common Archipelagian is represented by English. [[spoiler: Hand signs Knull uses in the epilogue are represented by [=ASL=] and subtitled.]] Dragons, pandorians, seranith and seagulls have their own, untranslated languages, though. |
| 732 | * TrappedInTheHost: Since shortly before page one up to the ball in Quillotia, Raven is trapped in Blitz's body, because Blitz has lost his left eye, the raven spirits' way in or out. |
| 733 | * TrashTalk: |
| 734 | ** Steller calling Kor a [[FantasticSlur dust eater]] while attacking him. Later in the fight he calls Kor "sparrow". |
| 735 | ** Raven weaponises this against [[spoiler: the raven spirits possessing Benjamin]] as ReversePsychology, needling them into proving they're not afraid of him (by doing exactly what he wants): |
| 736 | --->'''Raven''': You guys must have grown a second brain cell to rub against the first one. |
| 737 | * TraumaInducedAmnesia: At first it seems like Blitz has it, but it's more complicated than that. [[spoiler: When Raven came to possess Anthony, he slashed out his own eye, an act which cut off Raven's escape route and damaged the spirit, breaking Anthony's mind and turning him into Blitz. He's got almost no hope of getting his original memory back (which may be for the best)]]. |
| 738 | * TrustPassword: Early after they meet on Coin Island, Tuff lands in trouble and asks Credenza to pass a message to Riley. He gives her his heartstone (a traditional quillotian necklace you don't just give to anybody) as a proof he trusts Credenza and Riley can, too. |
| 739 | * TearApartTugOfWar: [[spoiler: During the climactic battle of Hidden Island Credenza and Snow grab the covers of the Listing of Names and finally tear the book in half (helped by a convenient explosion). Now both heroes and villains have the information on half of the heirs, but since Snow's half covers Paollo (whom he already has), Uru (whose entry is unreadable) and Clair, and he has other records, he still goes after the same heirs Credenza's group does.]] |
| 740 | * TheUnReveal: Thanks to an UnrevealAngle, we never get a good look at [[spoiler:Han's true form.]] We do get hints of scarred and squinty-eyed, though. |
| 741 | * UnsoundEffect: |
| 742 | ** When Riley can't find his wallet in a restaurant, there's a *disturbing lack of wallet*. |
| 743 | ** Snow, going with his cat motif, gets a *pounce!* once or twice. |
| 744 | * UnsuspectinglySoused: |
| 745 | ** The first time the Luck brothers visited Hidden Island, Tuff got ill and was given a medicine that, unbeknowst to him, contained alcohol. Since he has a really, ''really'' [[CantHoldHisLiquor weak head]]... |
| 746 | ** Later weaponized against him by [[spoiler: Han, shapeshifted into a servant girl]], who finds him moping away from the party in Quillotia and provides Tuff with a sympathetic ear and a [[UmbrellaDrink fruity punch]]. When he's drunk, [[spoiler: Han shoves him to the floor and]] commences EvilGloating, followed by an attempt to [[IronicDeath drown]] the half wereshark (ForScience). [[spoiler: If it wasn't for Dragonfly's gift and his transforming ability kicking in, he'd actually die.]] |
| 747 | --->'''Tuff''': I'm not jealous or anything, God knows a woman could be a stabilising influence to Riley. Make my life easier... but he's so darn optimistic. I dn't wn't him to get hurt. Unlike me, Riley's always been a rish... a risk taker... and y'know, every now and then things work out for him. (drops empty glass) Now with me it doesn't matter if I'm an optomish... an optomitrist... te haff full one, right? |
| 748 | * VillainEpisode: Book 4.5 (''Snowflakes'') follows Captain Snow on his day off, [[spoiler: visiting his widow and daughter]]. |
| 749 | * VillainTeleportation: Snow, since the arm grants him the all the heirs' powers, including [[spoiler: [[{{Teleportation}} Clair's]].]] He first uses it in book 2 when his sub is sinking. |
| 750 | * VisualPun: |
| 751 | ** When Snow's chasing [[spoiler: Han, just to enforce a little discipline]], there's a panel of a cat-like critter pouncing a moof. Snow is also sporting a wonderful CheshireCatGrin. |
| 752 | ** [[spoiler:How does Snow finally die? By melting.]] |
| 753 | * VoluntaryShapeshifting: All dragons and full-blooded werebeasts have a human and animal form they can switch between. Half-bloods could, in theory, but it has a good chance of killing them. Han pulls off a simpler version with garments sewn from magical materials (unicorn hair and leather, per WordOfGod). |
| 754 | * WakeUpFighting: [[spoiler: When Alice is reunited with her soul, first thing she does is sucker-punch the nearest person (Riley, whose ManlyTears are not caused by the pain but by the sheer relief).]] |
| 755 | %%is this the trope? the arm works automatically * WeCanRebuildHim: Captain Snow keeps getting grievously injured and his magical robot arm keeps repairing him with more robotic parts. By book 9 page 249, his robotic parts include "Both arms, one leg, most of his chest (including heart and portions of the lungs) the first few vertebra of his spine, and a patch on the back of his head that's covered by hair" as per WordOfGod. |
| 756 | * WeddingFinale: The epilogue is the day of Alice and Riley's wedding, a year after the final battle, with all the shenanigans, slow dancing, good food, FireworksOfLove and evidence of healing you might want. |
| 757 | * {{Weredragon}}: All the archipelagian dragons can shapeshift into a human form (sometimes a LittleBitBeastly), using a TransformationTrinket. |
| 758 | * WhamEpisode: Book 8. Starting with the reveal about the next heir identity that ends book 7 - [[spoiler: she's Blitz's ''daughter''. But things really heat up when Snow shows up and steals Alice's soul, causing Riley to freak out and attempt to transform, nearly dying in the process. And it gets even worse when Snow murders Holly. Oh, and by the way? Blitz is a [[OurDragonsAreDifferent DRAGON]]. The wham just keeps up until the very end of the book where it's revealed that the final heir is Charlie, or more specifically, Credenza's childhood friend Uru.]] |
| 759 | * WhamLine / WhamShot: Usually at the end of a chapter, just for the cliffhanger punch. |
| 760 | ** Book 5: |
| 761 | ---> '''Tuff:''' (to Riley) [[spoiler:We're going to Quillotia. We're going home.]] |
| 762 | ** Book 6: Raven [[spoiler:peeling away his "skin" to discover [[HumanityEnsues a human hand]].]] |
| 763 | ** Book 7 ends with: |
| 764 | ---> '''Tuff:''' [[spoiler: No! Blitz is only part of the family line! The heir is his daughter!]] |
| 765 | ** Earlier in Book 7 [[spoiler: Blitz tears a mask off an actor and the actor turns out to be Zatachi.]] |
| 766 | ** Book 8 ends with [[spoiler: none other than Uru looking back at Credenza.]] |
| 767 | * WhiteHairBlackHeart: [[FauxAffablyEvil Captain Snow]]. Knull also has his uncle's hair, but [[TokenGoodTeammate his heart isn't in the right (wrong?) place]]. [[spoiler: After leaving the villains ranks for good, he dyes it black.]] |
| 768 | * WhoWantsToLiveForever: Snow had already died when the Great Raven conscripted him into service, and part of their deal is now that he ''can't'' die again. He finds this takes a great deal of excitement out of his second life. [[spoiler: Dragonfly only stayed alive to help out the heroes and dies once this is done.]] |
| 769 | * WhyAreYouLookingAtMeLikeThat: When they need to get Raven surprised in book 4 to enlarge his wings and he claims he's built to be unsurprisable, Credenza grins. He responds with this line. [[spoiler: She kisses him and the wings get huge]]. %% more examples? |
| 770 | * WingedHumanoid: A lot, actually. There're Avians, Raven, and those possessed by the Ravens have magic wings. Willium also has a spell to this effect. [[spoiler: Even Simon can make shadomandyrs act as his magical wings when he's their master]]. |
| 771 | %% move to character page* WitchDoctor: Jan. |
| 772 | * WolverineClaws: |
| 773 | ** Lucinda uses them sometimes. |
| 774 | ** Paollo's guards use magic-charged clawed gauntlets. |
| 775 | ** [[spoiler: Blitz gets these, too, after merging with the Arm and becoming a steampunk dragon. He only uses them for shredding vines, though.]] |
| 776 | %% character trope * WouldHurtAChild: Snow would. |
| 777 | * WrittenSoundEffect: Quite often. %%elaborate? it's a webcomic, of course it has them! |
| 778 | * YouHaveToBelieveMe: When Riley finds out Alice is an heir, he rushes to warn her about Snow. Emphasis on "rushes". She's understandably sceptical. |
| 779 | -->'''Riley''': That was before I realized pirates were going to try and steal your soul! |
| 780 | * YouMonster: |
| 781 | ** Credenza screams this at Snow during the [[BallroomBlitz party]] in Quillotia [[spoiler: after he hurts the temporarily physicalised Raven]]. This anger triggers her magic overload. |
| 782 | ** Uru yells this at Snow in defiance during a {{flashback}}. |
| 783 | * YourMindMakesItReal: If a DreamWalker sustains an injury in the dream world, it'll manifest in the waking world if left untreated, and the nearest specialists in treating those are in Majestan. In their dream battle, [[spoiler:Credenza gets cuts on her legs from Riley's dream thorns, in Tuff's dream Snow-as-lion bites her shoulder (which, perhaps ironically, messes up the SlaveBrand Snow put on her) and goes blind in her right eye protecting Raven from Snow, while Knull is rendered mute by a neck wound]]. WordOfGod is that's how Anansi lost her arms. |
| 784 | ** Also per WordOfGod, the shape someone's magic takes is defined by the subconscious associations and beliefs of the user, which is why it's near impossible to consciously change one's magic. |
| 785 | ---- |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext Webcomic / Archipelago
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
