Katherine and Creampuff
Tales From Alderwood
is a fantasy webcomic staring Katherine (Kat), a thief and aspiring mage, and her owl familiar, Creampuff. When a magical accident deposits Kat in the bathtub of famous mage and businessman Hechoton Sinclair, her formerly aimless life takes on a new direction — one with far more adventure, danger and shenanigans.
Created by medli20 and Bobsplosion, based on a Dungeons & Dragons game run by medli20 where Kat was Bobsplosion's character, itself based on a high-school story written by medli20. Word of God states that almost nothing remains, plot- and character-wise, from the original incarnation.
You can find the first page here
Tales From Alderwood contain examples of:
- Accidental Murder: Kat accidentally breaks Smorgus Dinkley's neck in chapter 2 after hitting him with a crowbar in self-defense. Fortunately, force-feeding him a healing potion brings him back.
- Achievements in Ignorance: Katherine is unaware of how impossible it is for her to cast a a 5th level spell, having only cast 1st level before, so she does it anyway.Hechoton: Oh my gods. Did you actually stupid your way into my house.
Kat: That's kind of a rude way to put it, but... yeah, maybe? - Alt Text: Most pages have them, the creators even included a box below the comic so readers who can't access in normally can still read the text.
- Attack Its Weak Point: Grant, the earth dragonkin, is very difficult to hurt. Kat, however, notices that he reacts much more strongly when hit on the back of his head, and is able to take him out by copying his earth-spike attack and knocking him out.
- Attack Reflector: One of Kat's first magical innovations while working as a lab tech for Hechoton is a version of the Shield spell that explodes when hit. It... doesn't quite work in the way she was expecting.
- Badass Bookworm: Kat is one, by definition as a wizard.
- Bad Guy Bar: The bandit safehouse Kat infiltrates has one. Downplayed in that they're pretty accepting of adventurers, even good-aligned ones, and they treat underage drinking as a very serious offence.
- Bait-and-Switch Boss: After capturing Smorgus Dinkley, Trish stops keeping watch, assuming they've taken out the threat. Kat is more savvy.
- Benevolent Boss: Hechoton Sinclair has a track record of hiring directionless "weirdos" who nonetheless show magical potential, among them Katherine, Smorgus Dinkley, and eventually the two dragonkin bandits, so they can hone their abilities in a (relatively) safe and controlled workplace. In that capacity, he takes on the role of The Mentor for Kat, cautioning her to avoid biting off more than she can chew, and is visibly distressed to learn that she got stabbed through the shoulder running an errand for him.
- Beware the Silly Ones: Trish comes across as lighthearted, friendly, and a bit of a buffoon, but is absolutely brutal in combat.
- Big Brother Instinct: Grant instinctively shields Locke from a thrown crowbar, and later leaps into battle to defend them from an empowered Trish. Supplementary material reveals that when Locke abandoned the adventuring life and struck out on their own, Grant went with them to make sure they wouldn't get hurt.
- Bizarre Alien Reproduction: How the dragonkin reproduce is a closely-guarded secret in-universe. The most we've learned so far is it involves making a journey somewhere, and that they'll all siblings, but do not have parents at all.
- Black-and-White Morality: Trish displays shades of this, especially when she immediately punches a man in the face with zero reason, purely because he's in a bandit base, and therefore must be a bad guy.Kat: WHY did you just punch that guy in the face?
Trish: He's a bad guy!- Takes on a much darker tone during the dragonkin fight; Trish coldly declares that they sold their souls by becoming bandits and are now no more than "meat" to be slain without remorse.
- Blood Knight: Trish is far too eager to fight and has to be reined in by Kat to stop her outright killing people instead of knocking them out.
- Bookcase Passage: Hechoton Sinclair has one in his office. Behind it is... another, hidden bookcase.
- Breath Weapon: Locke, the water dragonkin, can blow pressure-washer-style jets of water at their enemies. Trish is not happy after being hit with one.Trish:...Did you just throw up on me?
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Hechoton describes Smorgus Dinkley as "a competent arcanist who should not be underestimated." He also mentions that he insists on wearing a large top-hat that looks like a birthday cake.
- Cheeky Mouth: Lampshaded in the alt text on this page.
- City Guards: Algerith, Hechoton's son, is a member of the Meadowbrooke city guard.
- Clark Kenting: Hechoton, a celebrity, wears sunglasses and a hat in public. It helps that the hat is enchanted to make the wearer inconspicuous to those around them.
- Combat Pragmatist: Kat is a good wizard, but she's not afraid to use a crowbar or a brick if she needs to. Nor is she concerned about faking a surrender or attacking someone while they're monologuing.
- Compelling Voice: In their first meeting, Hechoton is able to command Kat to "explain yourself at once" and later to stay stuck to an armchair. Later he uses it to stop some guards harassing Kat. She later notes that both spells are illegal in the kingdom.
- Cool Old Guy: Hechoton definitely counts. Fans have described him as having "uncle energy."
- Couldn't Find a Pen: In chapter 2, Kat — pinned to a wall and unable to reach her charcoal stylus — uses the blood from her shoulder wound to finish transcribing a spell to free herself.
- Crashing Dreams: A particularly creepy example. While Smorgus Dinkley is sitting in his cell, mumbling Kat's name over and over again and apparently transforming into some kind of creature, Kat is woken from a nightmare by someone calling her name.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Judging by her nightmare in Hechoton's house, her flashback during the dragonkin fight, and some odd reactions to seemingly innocent questions, Kat seems to have one.
- Deadpan Snarker: Hechoton is a truly masterful one.
- Declaration of Protection: When Kat points out that the spell Hechoton used to rescue her from two guards is illegal in Alderwood, he replies that he'll use any means at his disposal to protect those he cares about.
- Elemental Punch: Grant often fights with large rock gauntlets that he manifests using his earth powers.
- Eyepatch of Power: Invoked by one of the bandits, who apparently only wears his eyepatch because it looks cool.
- Eyes Do Not Belong There: We have yet to learn what exactly is causing this, but it seems that there's a mysterious entity following our protagonists, which seems to manifest as eyes in their shadows.
- Familiar: Creampuff, the owl.
- Fantastic Racism: Hechoton isn't allowed to join the nobility despite his wealth and power because he's half-elf.
- Fiery Redhead: It's difficult to tell because the comic is in black and white, but color panels show that Trish is one.
- Five-Finger Discount: How Kat made ends meet before being hired by Hechoton.
- Flashback Nightmare: Kat appears to have one at the start of the third chapter.
- Frog Men: Despite only being seen in one panel (giving Kat directions to the bandit base) a frog-man bard in a troubadour outfit was listed by several readers as their favorite character in the community poll.
- Frustrated Overhead Scribble: One mook's reaction to taking a crate to the face.
- Gentle Giant: Grant, by far the tallest and most physically imposing character introduced yet, is extremely shy and taciturn, most of his lines starting with a long "....". He is, however, not afraid to fight when necessary, nor immune to getting angry in said fight.
- Go for the Eye: Kat's advice to Trish when fighting Locke.Kat: Finger them in the eye!
- The Good King: Alderwood seems to have one, at least according to Hechoton.
- Harsh Word Impact: Used against Grant and Locke here.
- Healing Potion: Trish has a stash of these, having come from a wealthy family that can afford them.
- Humanoid Abomination: The "Smiling Strangers" are beings who sport a permanent Slasher Smile and try to ensnare victims by engaging them in conversation using a Compelling Voice. Hechoton calls them "weird cultist bastards", implying that their otherworldly powers comes from worshipping some higher being. The Strangers are apparently enough of a problem that there are posters scattered around Highport warning passerby not to speak or listen to them.
- Hyperspace Is a Scary Place: Teleportation can be rather disturbing. Even when it's done correctly.
- Hypocritical Heartwarming: Subverted with Locke.Locke: So...you're the ones who beat our boys.
Grant:...only we can beat our boys. Who do you think you are?
[later]
Grant:...Just to be clear, that was a joke earlier. Locke and I respect our boys. Nobody is getting beat.
Locke: Except you two.
Grant: ...yeah. - I Just Want to Be Special: Algerith seems to have a lot of insecurities about being the son of a famous and powerful wizard, but being himself not very magically gifted and having to work twice as hard to master even simple spells. It makes him resentful of Kat and doesn't help their already fractious relationship.
- Joke Item: A series of magic items that seem promising, but have certain limitations.... Turns out there is a good reason for that.
- Lizard Folk: Grant and Locke are dragonkin, a race inspired by the dragonborn from D&D.
- Magical Eye: Katherine is an owl eye savant, who can determine the properties of objects and learn magic spells by observing them.
- Mook Chivalry: Defied and lampshaded here.
- Mother Nature: One of the deities in this setting is Gaia. Though we haven't really seen her yet, it's to be assumed she's this.
- Noodle Incident: When Kat apologizes for her atrocious job interview, Hechoton deadpans that he's seen worse.
- Not So Above It All: Hechoton is The Comically Serious most of the time, but he does find Kat's antics amusing from time to time, and isn't above trolling her in return.
- Perpetual Frowner: Hechoton's default expression, as even he admits.
- Red Is Heroic: Kat's outfit of choice is red and white. Trish has red hair.
- Riches to Rags: Various hints have been dropped, that Katherine is from a wealthy noble family including not revealing their last name, being evasive when asked about nobles and suggesting being able to afford expensive services in the past.
- RPG Mechanics 'Verse: Kat's talent allows her to perceive items and spells this way, with stats and limitations she can learn or exploit on the fly.
- Servile Snarker: While we the audience can't understand Creampuff's hoots, judging from her facial expressions, she's this.
- Shout-Out: In one strip, Kat re-creates the "I guess" meme.
- Splash of Color: While the comic is usually in monochrome, occasional items and title pages will be in colour — most notably a type of magic crystal called Stygian steel.
- Squishy Wizard: Kat freely admits to having "wimpy wizard arms", and mainly relies on her spells — or the occasional blunt object — in combat.
- Talk to the Fist: Locke is quite upset when Kat tries to hit them with a crowbar in the middle of their dramatic speech.
- Thou Shalt Not Kill: Kat refuses to inflict lethal injuries, and manages to talk Trish down from finishing off a wounded mook.Kat: They are not monsters, and neither are we. Send them to the temple to recover, not the graveyard.
Trish: Did you not just electrocute that guy?
Kat: I nonlethally electrocuted that guy. He's alive and well.
Mook: (groans)
Kat: ...or he will be with some rest.
Trish: You bricked that other guy in the face.
Kat: I have wimpy wizard arms, he'll be fine! - Tranquil Fury: When one of the warehouse mooks kills Creampuff by throwing her against a wall, Kat calmly knocks him down, grabs his head, and electrocutes him point-blank. Her expression says it all.
- Traumatic Haircut: Locke threatens to do this to Trish after incapacitating her. Unfortunately for them, Trish is still conscious and picks that moment to cross the Rage Breaking Point.
- Truth Serums: Truth magic, useful for gathering information and... too much information.Kat: (forced truth speech) I was really hoping to borrow your nice bathtub later because I haven't bathed in a week
Ka: (normal speech) Please let me stop saying this extremely embarrassing stuff - Unsound Effect: "KA-BRICK" and "KA-CHAIR" are used in chapter two.
