Line #35 Webcomic/RumorsOfWar


1	''Rumors of War'' is set in a world inspired by [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Mythical Greece]], and falls somewhere between AlternateHistory and HistoricalFantasy with a dash of HeroicFantasy.
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3	The original webcomic was episodic in nature, making frequent use of [[TimeSkip time skips]] to cover the time (a year and a half) in-universe of its release schedule. [[ArchiveTrawl The comic ran 500-some pages across 5 major story arcs]] from 2010-2011 [[TroubledProduction before it went on hiatus mid-chapter]] into its sixth arc. The author returned to finish said chapter several months later.
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5	Following a successful Kickstarter in January 2014, the comic was revived with new characters and a new format. The new webcomic is scheduled to run a full year (going into the first part of 2015).
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7	In addition to the webcomics, there are several pieces of short fiction (character "vignettes" and an [[OrphanedSeries aborted serial novel]]) set in roughly the same time and place as the first comic.
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9	'''Rumors of War (2010-2011)'''
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11	In the wake of the [[WrittenByTheWinners War of Thessalonian Independence]], also known as the [[WorldWarIII Third Trojan War]], a magical society struggles to right itself as it sinks into a period of decline. The palatial estates of the bronze age demigods are abandoned as a people return to a lifestyle from a simpler time while fleeing the onslaught of iron age [[AdventureFriendlyWorld pirates, slavers, and marauders]].
12	Probably best described as a a [[SitCom Situation]] {{Dramedy}}, or perhaps a ForensicDrama [[JustForFun/XMeetsY with magic]] ([[RecycledINSPACE in mythical Greece!]]).
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14	The pages themselves are formatted to resemble screen caps from an SNES-era video game, and so the action is carried by [[DrivingQuestion questions]], [[ArmorPiercingQuestion questions]], [[OntologicalMystery mysteries]], [[TalkingYourWayOut talking]], [[BreakThemByTalking questions]], [[TheOnlyWayTheyWillLearn questions]], questions, [[MindScrew and more questions]].
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17	!! This webcomic (and its related media) provide(s) examples of:
18	* ActionGirl: Elysia and Illyra are shown capable of defending themselves in the comic -- this is extended to Occela and Aleska since the inclusion of the vignettes. See also, MysteriousWaif, below.
19	* AfterActionReport: Chapter 3 includes a more literal AAR presented by one of the characters in the form of a journal. In a grander sense, ''Rumors of War'' could be seen as the "Story After Action Report" of a ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' campaign with JustForFun/{{Egregious}} amounts of ArtisticLicense.
20	* AfterTheEnd: The stories take place after the Trojan War devastated the kingdoms of the Aegean Sea.
21	* AlternateHistory / HistoricalFantasy
22	* AmazonBrigade: The main cast. They even have TheOneGuy Nenshe. (Unless you count Obadai, Lumino, and Thiago...)
23	* AnachronismStew: The setting is a progressive, magical, Bronze Age society. AWizardDidIt helps somewhat.
24	* ArtisticLicense: A SpriteComic with a Myth/ClassicalMythology backdrop. [[UsefulNotes/AmericanDrivingLaws License and]] [[IncrediblyLamePun registration, please.]]
25	* AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: Many of the character and place names. See NamingConventions below.
26	* BloodlessCarnage: You won't find a drop of blood in this webcomic, true to the [[EasternRPG JRPGs]] that helped to inspire it.
27	* BreakTheHaughty: Most of the cast go through these moments regularly to prevent their heads from getting too large. Occela seems mostly immune, if only because her status as CloudCuckoolander / MysticalWaif prevents her from ever getting particularly full of herself. See below: PassiveAggressiveKombat (See also: JewsLoveToArgue)
28	* CatchPhrase:
29	** Elysia -- "I don't do weddings/festivals/etc." Also OnceAnEpisode.
30	** Nenshe
31	*** "I try/I do try/I do so try/I try hard to do so." He wants you to know how hard he works.
32	*** "Nothing is free." He had to work to deprive you of your hard-earned rewards.
33	** Occela -- [[Series/{{Bones}} "I don't know what that means."]] A ShoutOut.
34	* Myth/ClassicalMythology: Borders on this and {{Mythopoeia}}.
35	* ColdBloodedTorture: Implied to have been used on [[spoiler:Benito]] by [[spoiler:Meteon]]. [[spoiler:Devoted father who [[IdidWhatIHadToDo did what he had to do]] or DesignatedVillain?]]
36	* ConMan: Nenshe probably qualifies, being of the {{Hustler}} variety. Chapter 3 sees him preparing for a short con, and chapter 5 sees his plan in action. How well it works remains to be seen. He might very well be a budding ManipulativeBastard.
37	* DeadpanSnarker: Most of the main cast, to varying degrees. Particularly noticeable in Elysia, Illyra, and Nenshe.
38	* DevilInPlainSight: Manaus. Comes complete with a KubrickStare InTheHood.
39	* EnsembleCast / [[RotatingProtagonist Rotating Protagonists]]: Combined with TwoLinesNoWaiting and [[TimeSkip Time Skips]] to create a Cast-Go-Round.
40	* FaceStealer: One features in the [[spoiler:first storyline, taking Couric]]'s place, and is probably responsible for the disappearance of [[spoiler:Penelo]].
41	* FourPhilosophyEnsemble
42	** Nenshe, The Cynic
43	** Elysia, The Optimist
44	** Illyra, The Realist
45	** Occela, The Apathetic
46	* FrothyMugsOfWater: Under the effects of the lotus-tainted food, Illyra and the others experience giggle fits, scattered conversation threads, and an increase in hunger.
47	* GeniusBruiser: Illyra, thanks in large part to WaifFu.
48	* Myth/GreekMythology (See also: Myth/ClassicalMythology)
49	* HeroesRUs: The Order of Orion appears to fill this role, with the main cast being members. The conditions of their recruitment, and their duties within the Order have yet to be revealed. We mostly see the cast during their downtime, or when responding to personal threats or stuff [[BystanderSyndrome that apparently isn't covered by the Order]].
50	* HeroicFantasy (SwordAndSandal): What happens when a group of [[KnightErrant Knights Errant]] and their HitchhikerHeroes join forces with a ReasonableAuthorityFigure and settle down in one town?
51	* InTheHood: [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Manaus]], introduced in Chapter 8 (returning in Chapter 12, and Chapter 20!) is this. Due to the quirks of the character's sprite, his eyes being the only thing visible is a creepy stare.
52	* JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind: Nenshe appears to be on one through chapters 26, 28, and 30.
53	* KubrickStare: It's hard to tell because it's just a sprite, but you can bet [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Manaus]], sports one of these.
54	* LeftHanging is in frequent use with this comic. Stuff happens, the villain is foiled, the characters learn a valuable lesson, but there are lots and lots of things left up in the air.
55	* LiteraryAllusionTitle: Probably. "And when ye shall hear of wars and '''rumours of wars''', be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet." --[[Literature/TheBible Mark 13:7]]
56	* LotusEaterMachine: Being based on Myth/GreekMythology, the comic uses actual the lotus. (Well, food that's been secretly tainted by the lotus, anyway.)
57	* LowFantasy: Treads a fine line between LowFantasy and HeroicFantasy (SwordAndSandal variant) with some strong {{Wuxia}} influences.
58	* MarijuanaIsLSD: Averted with the lotus-tainted festival food.
59	* MentalWorld: We get a glimpse at Nenshe's mixed-up mind in the fifth arc. Included are mental projections of his teammates that serve as different accents to the voices in his head, and falls somewhere between HappyPlace and BlackBugRoom.
60	* MindScrew: While low levels of MindScrew exist in the dialogue throughout the comic, Nenshe takes a JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind in the fifth arc, hallucinates, and talks to himself using his teammates to represent the different voices in his head.
61	* MysteriousWaif: No fewer than three, [[SpecialEffectFailure though it's difficult to tell]] [[StylisticSuck due to the medium]], Elysia, Illyra, and Occela all examples of [[MysticalWaif mystical waifs]].
62	* MysticalWaif: See MysteriousWaif, above.
63	%%* {{Mythopoeia}}: Generally a cross between this and Myth/ClassicalMythology.
64	%%* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Manaus.
65	* NamingConventions: Named characters and places in the story have names with no more than 6 letters or symbols. This is a ShoutOut to the HelloInsertNameHere feature of many early games that wouldn't allow more than 6-8 letter names.
66	* TheOrder: The Order of Orion, natch. Overlaps with HeroesRUs.
67	* ParentalSubstitute: Obadai seems to fill this role with respect to the teenaged Elysia.
68	* PassiveAggressiveKombat: Practically the only way the characters have of interacting with each other. See also: JewsLoveToArgue
69	* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: The Order of Orion seems to be this, at least from the perspective of the characters. Also a great example of what makes the comic an AnachronismStew. [[WeirdTradeUnion Adventurer's Guild]]?
70	* RPGMechanicsVerse: Attack and damage rolls (along with some StatusEffects) make their first appearance in Chapter 6. They appear sporadically throughout the chapters, roughly OnceAnEpisode.
71	* SacredHospitality: When Meteon and Elysia trade harsh words in Chapter 6, he tries to [[InvokedTrope invoke]] this trope. It goes downhill after that. In the next chapter, we find out that Elysia is a priest of Hestia, so for her, SacredHospitality is [[SeriousBusiness Serious]] [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Business]].
72	* ShooOutTheClowns: When he isn't [[TricksterMentor haranguing Elysia]], Obadai seems curiously absent during the main action and drama of the story.
73	* SoapWheel (see TwoLinesNoWaiting, as well): The plot moves forward with regular jumps in time, and the characters are left to explain what happened in the meantime. The third story arc (Chapters 13-18) expands on the events that followed the first story arc (Chapters 1-6).
74	* SpriteComic: Played with. The sprites themselves are original creations but the backgrounds are ripped from [=RPGMaker=]. It straddles the line between SpriteComic and PixelArtComic and uses sprites to evoke the tone and style of old school console games.
75	* StripArchive: The comic updates every day with an occasional bonus page at the end of the month, so there's plenty of comic for new and old readers [[ArchiveTrawl to trawl]].
76	* TheOneGuy: [[ConMan Nenshe]] is shaping up to be one of these when placed alongside Elysia, Illyra, and Occela.
77	* TheTimeOfMyths: Hinted at but not shown. The characters reference monsters and gods, but none have appeared in the story thus far.
78	* TimeSkip: One occurs before each new StoryArc, taking the characters ahead a couple months. See also: WebcomicTime.
79	* TricksterMentor: Obadai exhibits quite a few of the qualities associated with the TricksterMentor, among them his [[StealthMentor regular antagonism]] towards Elysia. His treatment of her is complex, as he also seems to fill the role of ParentalSubstitute.
80	* TwoLinesNoWaiting: The first StoryArc assembles quite a few cast members, then splits to follow Elysia and Nenshe as they go about separate activities. Elysia goes on a routine information-gathering trip only for it to get [[MysteryMagnet hijacked by a mystery]], while Nenshe goes about [[YouAllMeetInAnInn recruiting some]] [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits fellow adventurers]], which he does in the way that seems [[ConMan most natural to him]].
81	** The second story arc follows a similar pattern of alternating between events that either the whole party, Elysia and Obadai, Occela, or Illyra.
82	* WebcomicTime: Each StoryArc spans a few days in comic-time but takes several months to play out in real-time, and each StoryArc begins a few months after the last one ended.
83	* WeirdTradeUnion: The Order of Orion appears to be a mash-up of several things: geographical/explorer's society, entrepreneur's guild, adventurer's guild. This in a time when the common-folk thought the sun was a chariot driven across the sky by a god. See also: TheOrder
84	* WholeEpisodeFlashback: Chapters 13, 15, and 17 show scenes that took place after the events of the first story arc.
85	* WorldOfSnark

Context Webcomic / RumorsOfWar