Line #46 Webcomic/Kaspall


1	[[quoteright:271:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Kaspall-pg209-panel1_4897.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:271:The Captain (center) and Lieutenant de Montfort (left) question a witness.]]
3	''Kaspall'' is a {{fantasy}} [[MysteryFiction murder mystery]] {{webcomic}} written and drawn by Lucy Lyall that started in 2005 and finished in 2015.
4
5	Within this comic, Kaspall is the name of the unusual city in which the story takes place. This city is remarkable for two things:
6
7	* First, the [[CoolGate network of gates]] leading into and out of [[RecursiveReality a world formed entirely of places thought about and imagined by the people of this world]], called the Skein.
8	* Second, the many individuals from other worlds who have accidentally found themselves in Kaspall by mistakenly wandering through a gate of this kind in their own world.
9
10	Around the time this story begins, [[TwoLinesNoWaiting several events are occurring in tandem]]: a new off-worlder by the name of Alex Gray is being processed by the O.W.R. ("Off-Worlder Registration"); a student psychomantic (mind-mage) named Caroline is doing a field project at the Skein Institute for Professor Jaiva; the Captain and Lieutenant de Montfort ("Call me Harry. ''Please''.") are investigating a curious series of murders; and, in Hazel Karswell's small Greenacre Street apartment building, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking Sam Goldbourne has fallen behind on paying his rent]]. Oh, and [[ThirdLineSomeWaiting something odd is happening at a certain mysterious estate]].
11
12	These facts are, of course, connected.
13
14	We recommend [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2004/08/05.html starting at the beginning.]]
15
16	The artist has a second webcomic titled ''Webcomic/SpareKeysForStrangeDoors''.
17
18	!!Contains examples of:
19
20	* AlternateUniverse: Kaspall is filled with people from alternate universes, a lot of humans for some reason, though the only one who might be from Earth is Alex.
21	* AltText: Starting in Scene 20, [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2009/05/24 pg. 228.]]
22	* AmbiguousGender: The Captain is an androgynous [[RatMen bipedal rat]], and has never found it necessary to specify plumbing or pronouns on-screen. ([[http://kaspall.com/comic/2014/07/20#IDComment856386970 As the author put it in the comments:]] "[[ShrugOfGod Feel free to assign [the Captain's gender/sex] as you like, as it has no bearing on this story whatsoever.]]")
23	* AntiMagic: And being in a no magic zone makes people ill or at the very least, queasy.
24	* ArtEvolution: Less so than in many webcomics, but quite visible between, say, [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2004/10/12.html Scene 1]] and [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2011/10/30.html Scene 28]]. (Note: Latter page is essentially non-spoilery but embedded in a sea of major spoilers.)
25	* AxCrazy: [[spoiler:Katherine Ulfor]], who feels no compunctions about committing murder, kidnapping, or assault on the slightest (or even ''no'') provocation.
26	* BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork: Caroline can't bring herself to finish off [[spoiler:Katherine]], even after what the latter did to Caroline's [[spoiler:parents]]. Once Caroline decides to spare her enemy's life, along comes [[spoiler:the Veritarc]], who has its own beef with [[spoiler:Katherine]], to do the job instead.
27	* BadLiar: [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2006/12/05.html Professor Jaiva is merely]] [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2006/12/12.html bad at lying]] -- [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2011/01/16.html Avril is full-out]] [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2011/01/23.html this trope.]]
28	-->'''Captain:''' ''[writing on a notepad]'' Could you tell me your name, please?\
29	'''Avril:''' Ahhh ... ummm ... [=mmMary?=]\
30	'''Captain:''' ''[skeptically]'' Mary.\
31	'''Avril:''' Yes.\
32	'''Captain:''' Mary what?\
33	'''Avril:''' Mary ... Watts...?\
34	'''Captain:''' ''[incredulously]'' What?\
35	'''Avril:''' ''Mary Watts!'' My name is Mary Watts. Yes.\
36	''[[[BeatPanel The Captain looks at Avril, who is grinning nervously.]]]''
37	* BeastMan: A major fraction of the Kaspall population, including most of the main characters.
38	* DeadpanSnarker:
39	** Hazel, the landlady. For example, when she arrives home to meet [[spoiler:Jaiva]], [[http://www.kaspall.com/comic/2008/04/12 whom she'd asked to come visit:]]
40	-->'''[[spoiler:Jaiva]]''' [''to Hazel, just coming in'']: Don't you ever lock your door?\
41	'''Hazel:''' Every day.\
42	'''[[spoiler:Jaiva]]:''' It wasn't locked just now.\
43	'''Hazel:''' ''Really?'' I must be an idiot then.
44	** Sam Goldborne, Hazel's least favorite tenant. For example, when [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2011/05/08 he wakes up with Alex locked in a room by]] [[spoiler:the Ulfor]]:
45	-->'''Sam:''' Huh. Well, would you look at this. Horribly uncomfortable 'bed' ... bare floorboards ... no curtains ... don't know about you, but I feel at home already.
46	** Also, Captain Jenner, [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2012/08/26 as demonstrated when]] [[spoiler:the initial assault on the Ulfor residence has failed]].
47	* DoomedMoralVictor: [[spoiler:[[http://kaspall.com/comic/2011/06/12.html Beatrice Ulfor]]]] sees herself as one.
48	* ElectronicEyes: One of Sam's eyes is a removable prosthetic, that occasionally bugs him about renewing his subscription. [[http://www.kaspall.com/comic/2010/06/27 Useful for peering around corners though]].
49	* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: The Captain. The only thing that hints at as much as ''gender'' is half a [[MagicMirror not-telephone]] conversation between [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2005/05/12.html Hazel and Avril]] -- and even that got the ShrugOfGod before the end of the comic:
50	-->'''[[http://kaspall.com/comic/2014/07/20#IDComment856386970 4LS:]]''' The fact that the Captain's gender / sex was undefined kind of became a character point in my head. Which is not to say that Captain doesn't HAVE one. Just that I hadn't been given that information - much like I don't know what Claudia's Mum's name is, or exactly which part of the UK Alex is actually from.
51	* FantasticRacism: Apparently many worlds had this problem, judging by [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2010/04/25.html Sam's reaction to the idea of a human-only one.]]
52	-->'''Sam''': I can just imagine. Everyone equal. No-one looking ''down'' on you all the time. You could just be satisfied, you know? [[EntertaininglyWrong It must have been amazing.]]\
53	'''Alex''': Oh. Um. ...yes.\
54	'''AltText''': [[AskAStupidQuestion Yes. It's just like that. Also, sometimes it rains free money and kittens - though it's best to stay indoors when that happens.]]
55	* FourthWallMailSlot: [[http://kaspall.com/miscbox/qs.html Character Q&A.]]
56	* FunnyBackgroundEvent:
57	** ''[[http://kaspall.com/comic/2009/12/14.html All]]'' kinds of licenses.
58	** [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2010/08/15.html The signage at the hospital.]]
59	* GodsNeedPrayerBadly: Not gods, but stories -- in the Skein, those tales which are widely remembered and retold exist strongly, and those which are less recalled more weakly.
60	* HaveYouToldAnyoneElse: Unusually, the one person they told was [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2010/12/05.html the entirely trustworthy police lieutenant.]] Who thinks they're all idiots for ''not'' telling anyone.
61	* IHateYouVampireDad: [[spoiler:Caroline]] hates [[spoiler:Katherine Ulfor]], who turned her parents into [[OurWerewolvesAreDifferent werewolves]] who went crazy from it and infected her in turn.
62	-->'''[[spoiler:Caroline]]:''' How about it, ''Grandma?'' I think you owe me some blood.
63	* ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne: After [[http://www.kaspall.com/comic/2009/11/08 Caroline and Claudia tell their story]] of [[spoiler:visiting the study site]]:
64	-->'''Jaiva:''' What's ''wrong?'' You're untrained and you've got no talent! You're a bloody ''civilian!''\
65	'''Claudia:''' ... I'm not ''civil.''
66	* KnightInSourArmor: Sam Gouldborne, [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2012/02/12.html to the astonishment of people who know of him as "the jerk who never pays his rent"]] -- although as a [[NonActionGuy Non-Action]] [[BurgerFool Cafe Pot-wash]] he can't actually accomplish much more than getting himself beat up.
67	* LionsAndTigersAndHumansOhMy: Kaspall takes place in a world that's mostly populated by anthropomorphic characters, but humans (and other species) frequently get transported there by accident and have to try to integrate into its society.
68	* LoveMakesYouEvil: [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2012/03/11 To be precise,]] [[spoiler:the death of her husband]] drove [[spoiler:Katherine Ulfor]] over the edge into the aforementioned AxCrazy territory.
69	%% Not sure the above is the ''perfect'' trope -- @/RobinZimm %%
70	* {{Magitek}}:
71	** Mirrors are used like phones, with [[http://www.kaspall.com/comic/2006/08/05 operators]].
72	** Sam's GlassEye [[http://www.kaspall.com/comic/2008/06/05 has a night-vision mode and a subscription service to unlock additional features.]]
73	* MediumAwareness: [[spoiler:[[http://kaspall.com/comic/2008/09/12.html Sir Haydon realizes he's fictional.]]]]
74	* NonverbalMiscommunication: Discussed [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2009/09/27.html on page 238]], with some AltText lampshading.
75	* NotSoStoic: The Captain is pretty much unfazed by everything that occurs -- right up to [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2011/08/14.html the point in Scene 26]] where [[spoiler:the police discover that the Ulfor have started kidnapping people by the dozen right off the streets]].
76	* OhCrap: [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2012/04/15 On this page,]] quite a few of the [[spoiler:Ulfor]] have this reaction to the appearance of [[spoiler:Caroline and Claudia]].
77	* OhMyGods: "Circle!" and "God's shape!", [[http://kaspall.com/miscbox/qs.html#circle as explained here.]]
78	* OminousWalk: the [[HumanoidAbomination Veritarc]] follows its victims at a slow, relentless stroll, accompanied by the ''tap! tap! tap!'' of its gnarled walking stick.
79	* PlayingPossum: [[spoiler:The Captain]] [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2011/04/03.html resorts to this]] to see how [[spoiler:Avril]] reacts.
80	* PortalCrossroadWorld: The city of Kaspall, unfortunately the portals that lead to other worlds are too unstable for the Off-Worlders to find a way home. There is however a PortalNetwork through the Skein that goes within the city.
81	* PunchClockVillain: Excepting [[spoiler:Katherine]], [[spoiler:Beatrice]], and [[spoiler:Beron]], [[spoiler:the Ulfor]] are basically just following orders. Eventually [[spoiler:Beatrice]] convinces them to surrender to the police.
82	* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: [[spoiler: Beatrice delivers one to [[http://www.kaspall.com/comic/2012/03/11 her insane sister]], to distract her long enough for Sam to free Hazel and allow their escape.]]
83	* RecursiveReality: The Skein.
84	* ReplacementGoldfish: The original [[spoiler:Joseph Haydon]] was [[spoiler:Katherine Ulfor's husband]].
85	* ScareEmStraight: The purpose of [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2009/01/04.html the story of the Veritarc.]]
86	* ShoutOut: A couple in the alt text:
87	** On [[http://www.kaspall.com/comic/2010/02/14 this page]], when Claudia says "Go on" while badgering Caroline into bringing her along into the Skein, the alt-text mentions [[Series/FatherTed Mrs. Doyle]].
88	** On [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2011/06/19 this page]], in which Sam is yelling a lot: "[[Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus MY HEAD HURTS!]]"[[note]]...in allusion to the NoIndoorVoice Gumby who says "MY BRAIN HURTS!"[[/note]]
89	** On [[http://www.kaspall.com/comic/2012/09/10 this page]], in which [[spoiler:Katherine Ulfor]] is convinced that everyone is conspiring against her together: "[[Film/CarryOn Infamy! Infamy! They've all got it in for me!]]"[[note]]Specifically, this is a quote from ''Film/CarryOnCleo''.[[/note]]
90	* SpannerInTheWorks: More than one:
91	** Sam, doing his job as Alex's guide -- [[spoiler:when Hazel only forged his signature on the paperwork [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2010/01/31.html because she didn't want a stranger hanging around the house]].]]
92	** The OWR, which [[spoiler:[[http://kaspall.com/comic/2011/05/29.html handed a dangerous artifact back to Alex]] rather than [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2011/06/03.html put it in their safe]]]] because they had no clue about it.
93	--->'''[[spoiler:Beatrice]]:''' But now I find the place is run by ''imbeciles.''\
94	'''Sam:''' Well, ''yeah.''
95	* SplashPanel: [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2012/06/17.html Page 353]].
96	-->'''AltText''': Wait, what's this? A big confusing fight page?! That can only mean one thing ... yes, at last, I am a Proper Comics Artist!
97	* {{Story Within A Story}}: The Skein is composed of the stories thought about by the inhabitants of Kaspall. [[spoiler:[[http://kaspall.com/comic/2010/01/10.html Jaiva suggests that stories within the Skein might reach a point where they could dream stories themselves.]]]]
98	* TemptingFate: [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2009/08/09.html Sam, reassuring Alex]], as noted by the AltText.
99	* TrappedInAnotherWorld: Many, many characters -- the OWR is specifically tasked to help these people deal with being displaced to the city Kaspall.
100	* WebcomicTime: Noted in the AltText of [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2010/05/30.html this page.]]
101	* WhamEpisode:
102	** [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2011/01/09 Scene 24: A Housecall]], three times over:
103	*** [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2011/03/13 First,]] the explanation of ''[[{{Blackmail}} just how]]'' [[spoiler:Hazel Karswell]] is connected to [[spoiler:the Ulfor]].
104	*** [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2011/03/28 Second,]] and a WhamLine: "You know, if you ''do'' want some help, I'd be happy to give it."
105	*** [[http://kaspall.com/comic/2011/04/17 Third,]] adding to the first, [[spoiler:that Hazel never went to the police at all]].

Context Webcomic / Kaspall