Line #30 Webcomic/Parhelion


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kiefer_161_symbol.png]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:This place is a little important.]]
3
4	''Parhelion'' is a ScienceFiction {{webcomic}}, set in a fragmented, provincial galaxy and following a group of pirates, smugglers, bureaucrats, warlords, and more.
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6	The World's Collective, the most ambitious plan to unite the galaxy, has just collapsed after a decade of stagnation. Cerril Tonsay, a former interpreter for it, comes across Peter Vonn, a rakish human smuggler. They hit it off over the course of a three-day trip, and decide to stick together on any job that comes their way.
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8	----
9	!!This webcomic contains examples of:
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11	* AlienNoninterferenceClause: New Sequa has a policy regarding intrusion on E-class planets (which are implied to be reserve/sanctuary worlds due to having pre-contact sapients), and [[spoiler:Cerril and Peter are put on trial for crash-landing on one, Singniyhe-4.]]
12	* ArtEvolution: Peter's hair flounders around awkwardly for a while before settling on a consistent set of simplified spikes.
13	* AsteroidMiners: Peter's ancestors, who promptly turned to black-market dealing when the minerals in question were found to be MadeOfExplodium.
14	* TheBadGuyWins: Yima prior to the start of the comic, as things presently stand.
15	* BeleagueredBureaucrat: Vinna.
16	* CastFullOfGay
17	* ConvenientlyPreciseTranslation: Run-of-the-mill automatic translators can't do this, making designated interpreters so vital.
18	* CoolStarship: There are a few and it's fairly standard for the comic.
19	** The [[https://parhelioncomic.com/comic/anniversary-special-cross-sections/ 2019 Anniversary Special]] came with a diagram on two, and the second was Peter and Cerril's ship.
20	* CourtroomEpisode: Part 7 in a nutshell.
21	* CunningLinguist: Cerril, and interpreters in general.
22	* DeadlyGaze: Making eye contact with Basilisk is a bad idea that gets worse as they get more agitated.
23	* DrowningMySorrows: [[http://parhelioncomic.tumblr.com/post/136513495403/parhelion-part-1-page-4-featuring-the-debut-of The first introduction to Cerril]], but he gets better.
24	* DysonSphere: Cerril grew up on one, [[https://parhelioncomic.com/comic/part-8-page-8-whale-watching/ the first of it's kind.]]
25	* TheFederation: The Worlds' Collective, long since atrophied.
26	* FunetikAksent: Sort of. [[http://parhelioncomic.tumblr.com/post/141114339488/parhelion-part-2-page-1-introducing-vinna Vinna's consonant-H sounds are rendered in her native alphabet,]] but there's no indication of what they actually sound like.
27	* HumanoidAliens - Played with. Some aliens like Cerril (etc) are more standard humanoid, but it's not infrequent you see one that doesn't. One of the gangleaders that rejects Peter and Cerril is essentially [[https://parhelioncomic.com/comic/part-5-page-14-people-skills/ an angler's lure]].
28	* InterspeciesRomance: Peter and Cerril, Vinna and Kroyzdt.
29	* KangarooCourt: Averted as a result of New Sequa's dedication to jurisprudence.
30	* KnowledgeBroker: Nikolai, at least in their imagination.
31	* LawEnforcementInc: The Yima Cartel has its own security droids and [[http://parhelioncomic.tumblr.com/post/143831548688/parhelion-part-2-page-16-as-dickish-as-they-may giant prison ships.]]
32	* LongDistanceRelationship: Vinna and Kroyzdt, for the length of Vinna's job at this godforsaken outpost.
33	* MadeOfExplodium: Peter's homeworld gained independence thanks to some [[http://parhelioncomic.tumblr.com/post/137525656223/parhelion-part-1-page-16-exposition-vision quality explosives.]]
34	* MegaCorp: The Yima Cartel. This goes to such a point that Yima is more or less the de-facto [[OneNationUnderCopyright galactic super-power]].
35	* MindHive: [[http://parhelioncomic.tumblr.com/post/140673708408/parhelion-interlude-1-page-7-let-the-parliament Litany contains a whole parliament of minds within one body, and consults them for advice and planning.]] Despite this, they don't speak with the VoiceOfTheLegion, but they ''do'' insistently use plural pronouns.
36	* MotorMouth: Alison.
37	* MulticulturalAlienPlanet: Most worlds tend to be like this. A number trend towards monoculture formation with Yima worlds being by preference.
38	* NonPromotion: After years of hard work, Vinna is sent off to a distant outpost with no apparent purpose.
39	* OfficeRomance: Vinna and Kroyzdt both work for the Yima Cartel, at different-yet-unspecified positions.
40	* OneWordTitle:
41	* QueerRomance: Central to the comic.
42	* SiliconbasedLife: While Sawtooth's species hasn't been stated in detail we do know that they are on a level mineral based and could be viewed as such.
43	* StarfishLanguage: Languages neither of the protagonists speak are only depicted as this.
44	** Basilisk speaks in [[http://parhelioncomic.tumblr.com/post/140372042828/parhelion-interlude-1-page-3-basilitany-would jagged, distorted static]] that needs no translation.
45	** The StarfishAliens who are native to Singniyhe-4 have [[https://parhelioncomic.com/comic/part-6-page-16-parts-unknown/ round speech bubbles]].
46	** The zlotl language (or dialect) "parangya mat" is one almost entirely made of slang, euphemisms, and more. The only word Cerril actually knows of it is [[TheXenophile "lobsterfucker"]].
47	* UngovernableGalaxy: Coordinating across solar systems is a pain in the ass for any organization, so most of the galaxy is locally-governed or anarchic.
48	* UniversalTranslator: Generally subverted as while [[TranslatorMicrobes Cochlear Translators]] are common and get the job done they can't handle and nuances, and take a massive team of linguists pushing constant updates to maintain.
49	** This is where translators and interpreters like Cerril come in. Knowing what ''not'' to translate, which often means [[TranslationWithAnAgenda leaving out details]]. He fully well [[http://parhelioncomic.tumblr.com/post/137037656383/parhelion-part-1-page-12-continuing-the admits this.]]

Context Webcomic / Parhelion