History Webcomic / Gaia

** Broken up into BattleCouples Viviana and Illias and Alissa and Ryn at the end of "Breaking All Barriers" [[spoiler: with Sandril gone missing and Lillith revealed as either a TykeBomb or a MacGuffinGirl]]

* TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt: All of the signs and portents point to [[spoiler:Lilith}} being the key to either saving the world or ending it, though as the story progresses it becomes less clear if the powers that be are worried about an actual apocalypse ("the end of the world") so much as the destruction of the current status quo ("as we know it").

* ExactWords: Viviana assures Alissa and Ryn that she is not a member of the Shadowdancers...which is not true, but it is accurate, as she is more than just "a" member. [[spoiler: She's their leader.]]

* SheCleansUpNicely: Viviana is quite the GirlyGirl when not on a mission, it appears to be as much misdirection as inclination--Alissa and Ryn certainly never suspected the cute young woman with a yen for pretty dresses and sun hats was the BadAss leader of the notorious Shadowdancers.

* KickTheSonOfABitch: which makes it hard to bear when she viciously shuts him out under the baleful influence of an ancient spellbook.

* {{Magitek}}: There are cameras, robots, sophisticated security systems, etc, all of which run on magic, plus a lot of mundane items like lightbulbs, notepads and paper bags that modern people take for granted that a preindustrial society would not be able to manufacture.

* WhiteMagic / BlackMagic: The Bluestream is Gaia's magic, while the Redstream is Bhaal's.

* {{Narm}}: Viviana propositions Ilias with a very cheesy DoubleEntendre. It's not on the YMMV page because it's obviously intended to sound just as corny to Ilias as it does to the readership, making it an InUniverse example of Narm as well.

* {{Fanservice}}: Whether [[http://www.sandraandwoo.com/gaia/2015cp03/03/breaking-all-barriers-050/ the last panel of this page]] was or was not fanservice was in debate for a short time until [[JustifiedTrope Novil stated that not showing skin at that point would be as stupid as showing skin without reason.]] [[note]] That point being [[spoiler: washing blood out of Viviana's hair]][[/note]]
** [[http://www.sandraandwoo.com/gaia/2016/01/05/breaking-all-barriers-136 This page]] also functions as fanservice, though it's another situation where showing no skin would make no sense in context.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: There are a lot of references to various hand and arm tropes involving Vivi. There's her personal interests (gadgets) and chosen career (thief), a nightmare in which losing a hand figures prominently, a childhood incident when she did witness someone losing a hand, an encounter with a villager who has severely injured her forearm with a hedge cutter, and even an [[TheseHandsHaveKilled These Hands Have (almost) Killed]] moment after her attempted assassination of Eldor (she actually did managed to kill Sylas, though she doesn't know it.) All of this implies that Vivi's hand or hands will be central to the climax.

* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Bhaal, a [[GodOfEvil Demon God]]. Seemingly subverted with Lili--her full name is ''Lilith'', but to all appearances she's the nicest person in the comic.

* HeroicBSOD: Viviana is so shocked after her MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment Illias has to carry her from the scene.
* HoldYourHippogriffs: "Sent back to Gaia" for death, "jump in the void" for "go to hell."

* KickTheSonOfABitch: which makes it hard to bear when she vicously shuts him out under the baleful influence of an ancient spellbook.

* {{Magitek}}: There are cameras, robots, sophisticated security systems, etc, all of which run on magic, plus a lot of mundane items like notepads and paper bags that modern people take for granted that a preindustrial society would not be able to manufacture.

* SchizoTech: A swords-and-sorcery fantasy setting that somehow manages to have most of the trappings of a modern industrial society, like paper bags, spiral-bound notebooks, electric lights and modern clothing and fabrics. [[spoiler: There's also hidden Elves who display a science-fiction level of {{MagiTek}}]] Surely a society that can manufacture [[http://www.sandraandwoo.com/gaia/2016/01/05/breaking-all-barriers-136/ modern underwire brassieres]] could also manage firearms or internal combustion engines?
* SheCleansUpNicely: Viviana is quite the GirlyGirl when not on a mission, it appears to be as much misdirection as inclination--Alissa and Ryn certainly never suspected the cute young woman in the sundress was the leader of the notorious Shadowdancers.

* {{Magitek}}: There are cameras, sophisticated security systems, etc, all of which run on magic, plus a lot of mundane items like paper bags that modern people take for granted that a preindustrial society would not be able to manufacture.

* RememberTheNewGuy: After [[spoiler: the Red Hall attack,]] Ilias asks his mother about his "other friends" (besides Lili, Sandril, Alissa, and Ryn), and she responds that [[spoiler:one is dead and the other moved away after the attack--in the lead-up to the attack]], however, neither was anywhere to be seen.

* SheCleansUpNicely: Viviana is quite the GirlyGirl when not on a mission, it appears to be as much misdirection as inclination--Ilias and Ryn certainly never suspected the cute young woman in the sundress was the leader of the notorious Shadowdancers.

* ExtraordinarilyEmpoweredGirl: Ryn's comes to the conclusion that Eldor has spent decades trying to create a PersonOfMassDestruction based on newspaper accounts of the deaths and disappearances of girls and young women [[spoiler: and believes Eldor finally succeeded with Lili]]. Each girl was conceived in the shadow of the Great Tree during the Greendew Spring Festival and subsequently raised in Oakdale.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: There are a lot of references to various hand and arm tropes involving Vivi. There's personal interests (gadgets) and chosen career (thief), a nightmare in which losing a hand figures prominently, a childhood incident when she did witness someone losing a hand, an encounter with a villager who has severely injured her forearm with a hedge cutter, and even an [[TheseHandsHaveKilled These Hands Have (almost) Killed]] moment after her attempted assassination of Eldor (she actually did managed to kill Sylas, she ust doesn't know it. All of this implies that Vivi's hand or hands will be central to the final resolution.

* MindScrew: [[spoiler:When Viviana is lost in the woods, the resulting scene is very creepy. First she hears a strange sound that grows so loud that she's deafened, then she wanders around trying to find her way out. She eventually sees a figure through a bank of fog that turns out to be ''herself'' after she gives chase, causing her to faint and hit her head on a rock. ''Then'' a portal opens and she's attacked and mutilated by monstrous creatures, only to wake up next morning to find that she can hear again and stumble out of the woods]].
** Viviana is later subjected to another horrific nightmare where she again dreams of being mutilated, leading the crew to suspect someone is trying to GasLight her.

* {{Narm}}: Viviana propositions Ilias with a very cheesy DoubleEntendre. It's not on the YMMV page because it's obviously intended to sound just as corny to Ilias as it does to the readership, making it an in-universe example of Narm as well.

* [[KingIncognito Queen Incognito]]: [[spoiler: Viviana]] is the presumptive Queen of Illeasar, assuming that province regains its independence from Cania. DoubleSubverted as she actually bears no royal blood; she's just the leader of the resistance and the daughter of two prominent citizens who were also leaders of the resistance.
* RelationshipUpgrade: How the ShipTease between Ilias and Viviana finally culminates in "Breaking All Barriers."

* SchizoTech: A swords-and-sorcery fantasy setting that somehow manages to have most of the trappings of a modern industrial society, like paper bags, spiral-bound notebooks, electricity and modern clothing and fabrics. [[spoiler: There's also hidden elves who display a science-fiction level of {{MagiTek}}]] Surely a society that can manufacture [[http://www.sandraandwoo.com/gaia/2016/01/05/breaking-all-barriers-136/ modern underwire brassieres]] could also manage firearms or internal combustion engines?

* SpannerInTheWorks: Rynn suspects Vivi has the potential to be a spanner in the works for Eldor's plans because she was also conceived in the shadow of the great tree during Greendew's spring festival.
** Lilith may be trying to set up a spanner in the works scenario despite her apparent FaceHeelTurn, why send her friends to Midgard otherwise? Of course, it could also be part of a deeper XanatosGambit on Eldor's part.

* TheUnfettered: Eldor, if what Ryn suspects of him is true: decades (centuries possibly) spent empowering and then murdering girls just to act as prototypes for his ultimate weapon.

** Lili's apparent FaceHeelTurn at the end of "BreakingAllBarriers".

* TheUnfettered: Eldor, if what Ryn suspects of him is true: decades (centuries possibly) spent empowering and then murdering girls ust to act as prototypes for his ultimate weapon.

* ExtraordinarilyEmpoweredGirl: Ryn comes to the conclusion that Eldor has spent decades trying to create a TykeBomb based on newspaper accounts of the deaths and disappearances of girls and young women [[spoiler: and suspects he finally succeeded with Lili]]. Each girl was conceived in the shadow of the Great Tree during the Greendew Spring Festival and subsequently raised in Oakdale.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: There are a lot of references to various hand and arm tropes involving Vivi. There's personal interests (gadgets) and chosen career (thief), a nightmare in which losing a hand figures prominently, a childhood incident when she did witness someone losing a hand, an encounter with a villager who has severely injured her forearm with a hedge cutter, and even an [[TheseHandsHaveKilled These Hands Have (almost) Killed]] moment after her attempted assassination of Eldor (she actually did managed to kill Sylas, just doesn't know it. All of this implies that Vivi's hand or hands will be central to the final resolution.
* GutPunch : [[spoiler: [[http://www.sandraandwoo.com/gaia/2012/02/21/the-red-hall-042/ That panel]]]]. See Wham Episode entry below.

* HorsingAround: Caspar may be gentle but he has his limits, as demonstrated when [[http://www.sandraandwoo.com/gaia/2015/01/02/breaking-all-barriers-034/ he spooks and bolts in the forest, dumping Viviana.]]

* MagicKnight: Ryn is a traditional example, who has two thirds training as a Fighter, and one third as a Wizard. Others like Ilias and Sandril may qualify.
* {{Magitek}}: There are cameras, sophisticated security systems, etc, all of which run on magic, plus a lot of mundane items like paper bags that modern people take for granted that a pre-industrial society would not be able to manufacture.

** Subverted when Vivi beomes a main character--as she was always intended to be, per WordOfGod--when she gets trapped with the FiveManBand in Oakdale.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: There are a lot of references to various HandTropes involving Vivi, from AnArmAndALeg to TheseHandsHaveKilled, implying that her hand or hands will be vital to the final resolution.

* StepfordSmilter: The citizens of Oakdale are suffering the effects of years of Eldor's meddling. They seem nice enough, and happy enough until you start asking questions that trigger their conditioning.

* UncannyVillage: Oakdale seems idyllic... until you try to leave. Or start asking questions about the unusual number of girls and young women who have died, gone insane, or gone missing over the years. Then it flips from an Uncanny Village full of StepfordSmilers to a TownWithADarkSecret full of hostile villagers.

* ExtraordinarilyEmpoweredGirl: Ryn comes to the conclusion that Eldor has spent decades trying to create one based on newspaper accounts of the deaths and disappearances of girls and young women [[spoiler: and suspects he finally succeeded with Lili]].

* UncannyVillage: Oakdale seems idyllic... until you try to leave. Or start asking questions about the unusual number of girls and young women who have died, gone insane, or gone missing over the years.

--> [[spoiler: '''San de Vertis:'''In a few weeks’ time, a spell will be cast. A spell that will destroy the world. And Lilith Caillean will cast it!]]

** Lily's apparent HeelFaceTurn at the end of "BreakingAllBarriers".

* ExtraordinarilyEmpoweredGirl: Ryn comes to the conclusion that Eldor has spent decades trying to create one based on newspaper accounts of the deaths and disappearances of girls and young women [[spoiler: and he finally succeeded with Lili]].

** Subverted later, as Vivi beomes the main character--as she was always intended to be, per WordOfGod--when she gets trapped with the FiveManBand in Oakdale.

* {{Fanservice}}: Whether [[http://www.sandraandwoo.com/gaia/2015/03/03/breaking-all-barriers-050/ the last panel of this page]] was or was not fanservice was in debate for a short time until [[JustifiedTrope Novil stated that not showing skin at that point would be as stupid as showing skin without reason.]] [[note]] That point being [[spoiler: washing blood out of Viviana's hair]][[/note]]