Line #27 Webcomic/PennyBlackfeather


1	[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/pennycomic_000_cover_v01_8229.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:256:The cover page]]
3
4	->''"Before we begin, there is just one point I want to make absolutely clear... There was no 'coincidence'. There were no accidents. It was all that bloody parrot's fault."''
5
6	''Penny Blackfeather'' is a regencypunk fantasy adventure webcomic by Francesca Dare. It was being published since January 2012 and no longer updates, alas. [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?webcomic_post=page0000 The website]] is currently not accessible. Luckily it has been captured by the [[https://web.archive.org/web/20161021080700/http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?webcomic_post=page0000 Internet Archive]].
7
8	The plot takes place in 1812 in Vanilla, England, and centers around Penelope Blake, a young woman who dreams about a life of adventure rather than the life of "cushion embroidery and ballroom dancing" she can realistically aspire to. She is also the only person who can hear the ghostly voice of her grandfather Nathaniel Blackfeather, a pirate and sorcerer, who is condemned to haunt her.
9
10	One day Penny sneaks out from a ball and goes exploring the hostess' house, having heard rumors of a haunted library. A mysterious blue feather falling through a hatch in the ceiling lures her to the roof, where she meets a strange bird and its strange owner, and gets drawn into the kind of adventure she dreamed about.
11
12	----
13	!! ''Penny Blackfeather'' contains examples of:
14
15	* AbhorrentAdmirer: For Penny, Mr. Poggleswede. Mostly because of her mother constantly trying to set them up. He himself doesn't seem to care for (or against) Penny all that much.
16	* ActionDressRip: Penny [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?comic=page-74-2 here]].
17	* AffectionateNickname: Nathaniel calls his granddaughter "Sweet Pea". He calls the Adventurer, whom he doesn't like so much, "numpty".
18	* AgentScully: The Adventurer utterly disbelieves in magic, monsters and ghosts. He's introduced as a travelling ghost-story debunker. This despite having obvious magical abilities himself, running into quite a lot of monsters and being the only one beside Penny who can hear Nathaniel.
19	-->'''The Adventurer:''' I just hope we don't catch whatever [[ScullySyndrome weird skin disease]] it is poor Molly has.\
20	'''Penny:''' Wha? Disease? She had tentacles, for goodness sakes!
21	** As of Volume Two, he copes by [[InsistentTerminology calling magic]] "[[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?webcomic_post=page-0006 thaumoelectricity]]", and spells "equations". This is from a man who [[spoiler: casts {{fireballs}}]], for crying out loud!
22	* AlienBlood: [[spoiler: Princess in her human form]] has blue blood. Possibly caused by magic.
23	* AlliterativeName: Madame Miriam Mim.
24	* AllTheOtherReindeer: Penny is considered weird, ''knows she's considered weird'', and while she [[IJustWantToHaveFriends wants to have a friend]], it has to be a TrueCompanions, [[TheFourLoves philia]] relationship, as opposed to shallow socialising.
25	* {{BFS}}: [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?webcomic_post=page051 Too big]] for Penny to lift, in fact.
26	-->'''Nathaniel:''' It isn't heavy, Sweet Pea, you just don't have the muscle to lift the thing.
27	* BadassBoast:
28	-->'''Penny''': I'm getting just a little tired of you all underestimating me.
29	* BigBallOfViolence: Most fight scenes, really.
30	* BigDamnHeroes: Quite a lot.
31	** Just as Nathaniel and the Adventurer thought Penny was drowned, who [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?comic=page-85 comes triumphantly back]]?
32	** Also Princess [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?comic=page-96 here]].
33	** Prepare to face the wrath of Whitby! Okay, it [[ParodiedTrope ends pretty quickly]], but he tried, didn't he?
34	** Later [[spoiler: Ara, who's non-magical at the moment]] tackles [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?comic=page103-2 the baddie]] right from the doorway. It does lead to chaos, but it's this sort of a story. A few pages afterwards, [[spoiler: she [[LetsGetDangerous taps into the magical potential of her curse]], taking it back into herself]] to ''really'' scare the pants off a villain. [[spoiler: She won't hurt him, but neither is she going to stop the snow spirits from doing so.]]
35	* ButtMonkey: To be fair, [[GoldfishPoopGang Bugbear]] deserves it.
36	-->'''Penny''': I'm so sorry! Are you hurt? I didn't mean to land on- On... oh. It's just you, Bugbear. Never mind then.
37	* CantYouReadTheSign: Bathhouse safety rules explicitly forbid running, pushing, acrobatics and women. [[spoiler: So, of course, Penny (dressed as a man), runs full pelt through it, with some pushing and jumping.]] They also forbid [[RuleOfFunny ducking and petting]].
38	* ChristmasEpisode: 2012 one was an elaborate 12-page reinterpretation of [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?webcomic_post=on-the-first-day-of-christmas-my-true-love-sent-to-me Twelve Days of Christmas]]
39	-->'''Sample:''' "Four haunting ghosts, three henchmen, two elder gods and a parrot in a pear tree!"
40	* CrashIntoHello: [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?comic=page-12 How Penny meets The Adventurer]].
41	* CollapsingLair: [[spoiler: The castle in volume one finale]].
42	* CurseCutShort: Several times.
43	-->'''Nathaniel:''' That's bo-\
44	'''Penny:''' But that's not possible.
45	* CursedWithAwesome: [[spoiler: Princess]], and, after that [[HealingMagicIsTheHardest healing magic]] [[HowDoIShotWeb mishap]], [[spoiler: the Adventurer]]. Pros - magical power extraordinaire! Cons - apparently overusing it will make you a [[DrunkOnTheDarkSide monster]]. As well as [[spoiler: a parrot, when outside of the Goblin Valley]], and it seems "overusing" equals "using" (or at least, "using recklessly") in this case.
46	** And [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?webcomic_post=page0046-2 now]] the SuperpoweredEvilSide comes out to stay. Drat!
47	* DancesAndBalls: A part of each volume takes place in the ballroom. Usually there's {{exposition}} and avoiding [[AbhorrentAdmirer mr. Poggleswede]].
48	* DarkAndTroubledPast: ''Why'' the Adventurer is such an AgentScully. As a child, he's been [[BehavioralConditioning beaten for expressing belief or interest in magic]], to the point that he'll fervently deny it even now. He also spent some time with pirates, which may or may not be unrelated.
49	* DeadpanSnarker: Penny has her moments, often triggered by her mother:
50	-->'''Mrs. Blake''': Who knows, maybe [[{{Foreshadowing}} the man of your dreams will appear and sweep you off your feet]]!\
51	'''Penny''': Unlikely. He's have to get past [[AbhorrentAdmirer the man of my nightmares]] to do that, Mama.
52	* DescriptionCut: Penny is introduced saying ''exactly'' what she thinks of [[AbhorrentAdmirer mr. Poggleswede]]. Cue our narrator:
53	-->'''Nathaniel''': Thus enters Penelope Blake, an innocent, charming young [[TheIngenue ingenue]].
54	** Later, guess what happens when the Adventurer says:
55	-->'''The Adventurer''': There's no way those things can get through this sturdy door.
56	* DistressedDude: The Adventurer, when captured by Miss Quinn's monsters. He botches the escape attempt (well, Nathaniel is to blame...) and ends up chained to a post to be used for a HumanSacrifice.
57	* DividedWeFall: This, dear children, is why you should ''not'' argue bitterly and loudly while hiding from {{mooks}} in the forest.
58	* DrillSergeantNasty: [[spoiler: After getting rid of Nyx, madame Mim becomes Penny's governess - officially. Unofficially she becomes her and the Adventurer's magic tutor and she's a StrictTeacher, let us tell you.]]
59	* ExcuseMeWhileIMultitask: [[BackToBackBadasses Penny and the Adventurer]] continue their discussion during the FightScene.
60	-->'''Victor''': Shut up! What sort of gormless ninny stops in the middle of a fight to chat? You have no idea what you're doing! And furthermore- \
61	'''Penny''': (thwacks him) Thanks for the advice.
62	* EmpathicHealer: The Adventurer wasn't actually intending to take the cut upon himself, he's just [[HowDoIShotWeb untrained]]. When he tries for the second time, [[spoiler: he gets all the Princess's magicalness and fancy blue clothes]].
63	* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Princess, [[spoiler: real name Ara, but she is a princess, actually]].
64	* ExactlyWhatIAimedAt: Subverted. Penny was aiming for their heads.
65	--> '''Penny''': Grr... I'll teach you to call your elders and betters names, you little brat! Take that!\
66	(throws a candlestick at Bugbear and minions, but hits the ceiling)\
67	'''Bugbear''' Ha! You missed us you stupid [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment girly-armed girl]]!\
68	(the ceiling collapses with a CRUNCH)
69	* TheFairFolk: Snow spirits, if seemingly cute and harmless (well, Winter is cute), are nevertheless vulnerable to ColdIron, selkie-like shapeshifters (as in, they keep the magic necessary in [[AmuletOfDependency their cloaks]]).
70	* FakeFaint: Georgiana, to [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?comic=page-49 distract everyone from Penny sneaking out]].
71	* FatBastard: Aldous Brobdiggon. Doubles as FatIdiot, or at last Fat Someone Very Unobservant ([[DramaticUnmask out of her]] [[SweetPollyOliver disguise]], it's really not a sign of smartness to mistake Penny for a boy).
72	-->'''Brobdiggon''': Hah! You can't put the wool over my eyes! (Adventurer proceeds to [[LiteralMetaphor sack him]])
73	* FeatherMotif: Beginning with the cover page and throughout the story, blue feathers symbolise adventure.
74	* FearsomeCrittersOfAmericanFolklore: Antelabbits are, basically, talking jackalopes. Also known as snow spirits. The townsfolk thinks they're [[EekAMouse rats]].
75	* FollowTheWhiteRabbit: In part one Penny eagerly follows Princess (a blue parrot) onto the roof and into the plot.
76	* GogglesDoSomethingUnusual: Mim has spiritual glasses that allow you to, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin see spirits]].
77	* GorgeousGarmentGeneration: One of the perks of tapping into the parrot curse is a totally awesome, flowy, blue costume [[PowerMakeover spontaneously replacing]] your drab, boring clothes.
78	* GrinOfAudacity: [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?comic=page-51 Penny]] as she stands her ground to monsters.
79	* GroinAttack: Perhaps [[AbhorrentAdmirer mr. Poggleswede]] should have thought a little when he advised Penny to "put a little kick into her dancing"... But it still doesn't get him out of her hair.
80	* HealingSpring: [[spoiler: The bathhouse pool is fed from one.]]
81	* TheHero: Penelope, who loves the thought of [[ActionGirl swashbuckling]] - as of Volume Two the Adventurer has taught her some fencing.
82	* HowDoIShotWeb: Besides being a powerful, but untrained mage, the Adventurer [[spoiler: when turned into a parrot doesn't automatically ''know'' how to fly]].
83	* IAmNotWeasel: Bugbear constantly calls Princess various bird species that start with a "p": puffin, pigeon and so on. She's a '''p'''arrot.
84	* ICanExplain: Says Penny and [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?comic=page22-2 wisely flees]].
85	* IJustWantToHaveFriends: Penny, who is considered [[CloudCuckoolander very strange]] by all those who know her, wants to meet someone like her.
86	* TheIngenue: Penny is supposed to be one, but what she actually is would be better described as PluckyGirl BornInTheWrongCentury - she's uninterested in marriage to [[AbhorrentAdmirer mr. Poggleswede]], dissappointed by the perspective of ballroom dancing and embroidering and craves ''adventure'', preferring to read about it while she can't have the real thing, instead of dancing.
87	* TheInfiltration: [[spoiler: By the villain team, who place Elyssia Nyx in the Blake's house as governess]].
88	* {{Infodump}}: Delivering these in a poetic, fairy-tale-like manner is the specialty of [[spoiler: princess Ara]].
89	* InteractiveNarrator: With a dash of [[LemonyNarrator lemony]], from the wizard and privateer extraordinaire, Nathaniel Blackfeather! Who, despite having no physical hand in the affairs, is still able to [[ManipulativeBastard manipulate people into doing things]].
90	* InvisibleToNormals: Grandpa Blackfeather. Snow spirits. Possibly more.
91	* ItMayHelpYouOnYourQuest: Cali's gift comes in useful within the chapter where it's given.
92	* JumpedAtTheCall: Penny is always keen on adventuring.
93	-->'''Penny''': Ohmygosh we have to investigate!
94	* LadyDrunk: Madame Mim. Abrasive personality? Check. Living in the past? Check. Strolling around town with a bottle of gin? That's her.
95	* LanguageBarrier: [[spoiler: Princess in her human form]] speaks in squiggly runes of [[LanguageOfMagic magic]] instead of English. [[spoiler: Following his PowerUp, the Adventurer puts her under a translation spell]].
96	* LamePunReaction:
97	-->'''Nathaniel''': Well, she's in good spirits.\
98	'''Penny''': [[NoJustNoReaction Grandpa, no.]]\
99	'''The Adventurer''': yikes
100	* LeaningOnTheFourthWall:
101	** At one point, Penny interrupts her grandfather by ''smacking'' his speech bubble.
102	** When Penny fights Miss Quinn, her grandfather comments on the OffscreenMomentOfAwesome:
103	-->'''Nathaniel:''' But this is the most amazing fight! It must be very hard to draw- [next panel] -breath in a fight like that...
104	* LongLostRelative: As we learn [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/blog/?webcomic1=page0115 here]] the Adventurer is the son of [[spoiler: lord Whitby's]] Long Lost Relative, making him one, as well.
105	* MarkOfTheSupernatural: The color blue: magical clothes tend to be blue, the Adventurer has one blue eye (his other one is brown), Princess is a blue parrot [[spoiler: and has blue hair in her human form, until she loses her magic and the hair turns black]].
106	* MeaningfulRename: When The Adventurer mistakenly calls Penny Blake 'Miss Blackfeather', she refrains from correcting him, thus embracing her grandfather's name and his legacy. Later she uses the name Penny Blackfeather to introduce herself.
107	* MinionMaracas: Penny, while [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?comic=page-61 fed up with things and interrogating a minion]].
108	* MistakenForServant: The Adventurer, [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?comic=page21 here]]. Luckily.
109	* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: Cali can feel magic happening, but not who or why is doing it.
110	-->'''Cali''': It felt as though someone had opened the door and then closed it again.
111	* NeutralNoLonger: Madame Mim tries to stay out of Penny's troubles, until they inevitably become her troubles, too.
112	* NoNameGiven: We never learn the Adventurer's name.
113	** Might be [[spoiler: Sebastian Whitby]]. And the bad guys call him Runt. He [[BerserkButton hates]] that.
114	** As of [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/blog/?comic=page-115 this page]] it seems he's in fact [[spoiler: Sebastian Whitby]]'s son, and while he's never met [[DisappearedDad his father]], he's got an OrphansPlotTrinket with his parents' initials. [[spoiler: He may be Rook's grandson, too...]]
115	* NonHumanSidekick: Princess, former PirateParrot and The Adventurer's loyal companion. Believed by Grandpa Blackfeather to be the brains of the operation. [[spoiler: More to her than meets the eye, though - she's an enchanted woman]]. Mim's sidekick [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?webcomic_post=page056 Cali]], a highly intelligent talking plant, and [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?webcomic_post=page0082 Seed Of Cali]], which Cali sends with Penny for help on her dangerous journey, are also examples.
116	* NoSenseOfDirection: Penny, but she tends to blunder into wherever the interesting things are happening anyway.
117	* OddFriendship: The very magical Ara and entirely mundane Georgie quickly form a fast one which progresses to a PseudoRomanticFriendship by the end of the chapter.
118	* PaintingTheMedium: [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?comic=page-93 This page]] has wind so strong ''SpeechBubbles'' are blown to the ground.
119	* PowerMakeover: [[spoiler: The Adventurer, instantaneously [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?webcomic_post=page034 here]] ]]. Penny [[FemaleGaze approves]].
120	* ThePowerOfFriendship: Ara [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?webcomic_post=page-112 swears by it]].
121	* PremiseVille: Vanilla, England.
122	-->'''The Adventurer:''' 'Visit Vanilla', they said. 'A nice normal town', they said.
123	* PreviouslyOn: At the beginning of each part, we get refreshed on the plot so far by Nathaniel, with [[LemonyNarrator full snark on]].
124	* RightForTheWrongReasons: [[ThinksLikeARomanceNovel Mrs. Blake]], nearly all the time.
125	-->'''Mrs. Blake:''' ''(Thinking about Mr. Poggleswede, to Penny)'' Who knows, maybe the man of your dreams will appear... And sweep you off your feet!\
126	(The same evening, CrashIntoHello with The Adventurer quite literally knocks Penny of her feet.)
127	* RunningGag: Penny [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?comic=page-15 hates]] [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?comic=page-16 being]] [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?comic=page-33 startled]]. [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?comic=page-107 Seriously]].
128	** In Volume Two, the score-keeping metafictional whatever-it-is.
129	* ScaredOfWhatsBehindYou: Mildly, and it's short-lived, since [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?comic=page-65 behind Bugbear is Cali]], a friendly, erm, plant-monster.
130	* SecretRoom: [[spoiler: The haunted library. By means of magic.]]
131	* ShipperOnDeck: Princess might have actually planned all the MeetCute and subsequent shenanigans between Penny and the Adventurer. If [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?comic=page-115 the little heart]] is anything to go by.
132	* SignificantGreenEyedRedhead: Penny, as the full-color chapter 3 reveals.
133	* SpellBook: Everyone, human or monster, wants to get their hands on it.
134	* SplashOfColor: Most of the comic is DeliberatelyMonochrome. However, [[NonHumanSidekick Princess]], The Adventurer's blue eye and Cali's vines appear in color. The [[MagicalLand Goblin Valley]] appears in full color. [[spoiler: So does the Adventurer upon getting magicked up]].
135	* SweetPollyOliver: Penny [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?webcomic_post=page0019-2 dons a disguise]] to investigate a gentleman's club.
136	* SourceMusic: A sort of RunningJoke throughout Volume Two, part II. [[spoiler: Turns out it's Christabel playing the piano]].
137	* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial:
138	-->'''Brobdiggon''': I had nothing to do with his strange disappearance.
139	* SurroundedByIdiots: Miss Quinn:
140	-->'''Miss Quinn''': You know, Molly, you may in fact be the smartest of all my minions. That's depressing notion.
141	* TakeOurWordForIt: Played for all sorts of comedy [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?comic=page-89 in the page 89]].
142	* TargetedHumanSacrifice: [[spoiler: "Magical blood" is required for Miss Quinn's ritual to work. Now who has magical blood that she can spare?]]
143	* UnsoundEffect: shove and in the next panel another shove, as well as [[SourceMusic dramatic key change]].
144	* UnreliableNarrator: The ghost of Nathaniel is the narrator, and he has a somewhat [[NeverMyFault self-serving]] approach to the truth.
145	-->'''Nathaniel:''' So this book is obviously bad news, but then Idiot Adventurer reads from it anyway. Anyone who says I persuaded him is lying. ''Lying''.
146	** Rook, however, explicitly ''calls'' him "[[LampshadeHanging unreliable narrator]]" [[spoiler: when claiming it was Grandpa Blackfeather who murdered him, not the other way around - we have no way of knowing who is lying, but as they were both pirates, it might be complicated]].
147	* WeWereRehearsingAPlay: The excuse Penny goes for when [[spoiler: magical-ed Adventurer is beating a bad guy up]].
148	* WhodunnitToMe: Grandpa Blackfeather has an understandable preoccupation with his murderer, [[TheBigBad Rook]]. Mim wants to [[ItsPersonal avenge him]], leading to this exchange of comments:
149	-->'''Nathaniel''': Is all of this devotion sweet or disturbing?\
150	'''Winter''': I'll go for "undeserved".
151	* WouldHitAGirl: Don't tell us you expected ''Victor'' to be nice...
152	-->'''A large mook''': [[NoIndoorVoice WHAT WAS THAT? YOU KNOCKED OVER A LADY!]]\
153	'''Victor''': No! Elysia is not a lady!
154	** The Adventurer reasons that if the girl is an evil monster, she's not real (metaphysically speaking), so he can kick her all he wants.
155	* WrongGenreSavvy: [[ThinksLikeARomanceNovel Mrs. Blake]], relentless shipper of Penny and Mr. Poggleswede.
156	-->'''Mrs. Blake:''' If novels have taught me anything it is that [[BelligerentSexualTension couples that argue will eventually fall head over heels in love]] and have dozens of babies. La!
157	* VerbalBackspace
158	-->'''Penny''': Don't think I'll let you just turn into a monster and take my only friend away...\
159	'''Nathaniel''': Ahem.\
160	'''Penny''': Oh... I mean my only living friend...\
161	'''Princess''': Woo!\
162	'''Penny''': ... My only human living friend.
163	* UnfazedEveryman: Once she sees past the {{Masquerade}}, and [[OddFriendship befriends Ara]], Georgiana is shaping up to be one, helped by her unflappable common sense.
164	* YouFightLikeACow: [[http://www.pennyblackfeather.co.uk/?comic=page71-2 Elyssia challenges Mim]].

Context Webcomic / PennyBlackfeather