Final Quest #15 - Delayed.

going to largely agree with the stuff stated here already....did not get why Spray and Salt were switched with one having a tail and the other legs...but i will differ in that i actually liked seeing Spray's merform. i thought it was pretty and well drawn.^^0

but i DID give kind of a mental groan when i saw Reef transforming into BEAST MODE again. *headdesk* lovely, he's imitating Sunstream on a far less aesthetic scale, and just...i don't know i mean come ON he spent forever as the Broken One...and now it's his form of power? just..bleh. bleh.

and the scene with Ekuar and Two Edge...THIS was a scene where i could see how a lot of people complain about sonny's coloring skills. why on earth is EVERYTHING a shade of yellow...??? then we switch to all blue and just...beh.

it was nice seeing Leetah show some fire again. when she snatched Cutter it was almost like a wife vs the other woman scene XD. "get away from my man, homewrecker!" but i reeeally...really...don't...frickin...understand....why did everyone get naked? i mean i'm not opposed to the nudity, but the context is...non existant! what, does it calm the tree elves down to not see clothes or something? are they drinking the sweat off of the group and eatting the dead skin cells? just what, WHY WHY WHY?! but i am extremely curious about the tree elves reaction to the naming of Savah...also Dre, why do you have to sing her name? you never sung words before, STICK TO A STYLE.

and still weirded out by the fact Moonshade is now a selfshaper...again, how and why? she was always among my favorite characters, and i love the new clothes but it just...even i can't deny it makes no sense. and the back and forthing between Moonshade and Strongbow is kind of wearying...

and holy snap, it's Door! i definitely did not expect that...but gotdamn does he look ugly...i can only imagine what Wingthing's Spar was saying when he popped up. might be almost as bad as Vaya's reaction to Aurek's canon appearance...*snicker* so what the hell is he gonna do, work to free Winnowill's spirit?

Shadowpath wrote:

Wisp wrote:

Shadowpath wrote:

I mean, she went out of her way to specifically state she hates that character.

I vaguely remember Wendy talking about this, but was she talking about Chot or just Jethel?  Wendy usually likes the characters she created and has trouble connecting with characters designed and developed by other artists.  Unless I'm mistaken, Wendy created Chot in that Hidden Years story where Kahvi, Tyldak, Yun, and Chot went to steal the little palace.  I'd be shocked if she'd soured so completely on her own creation.  

From what I remember it was both. I only know what Startear told me.

Yeah, she did mention both of them. And honestly? People sour on their own creations all the time. I don't fault her on that, but I... don't want either Chot or Jethel to die. They are the fist characters I fell completely for. Even though the latter was a creation of Blair.

Also guys? Strongbow and Moonshade aren't married. And yeah you are right that any marriage without some bumps isn't realistic but. This is one of the first they have on camera. (The Blue Mountain one was the first.) But this time they both just seem completely unable to communicate at all.

If they just can't work it out, and it is causing a lot of distress, like now... then either someone needs to force them to communicate, or break it off. I don't see anyone stepping in. And if they do it won't ostracize someone from the community. It just happens. It sucks but they'll get over it.

Weatherbird could provide really good couples therapy to Strongbow and Moonshade right now lol, right, Vaeri? heck, I could pen a session right her, but my laptop is in th shop and I have unfortunately been on my iPad instead, which makes typing annoying and always full of errors

Anyway. Yeah, I really miss Leetah's fire, and always get all excited when I see her kind of worked up. She DID act like a wife, it was awesome.

Abd I felt th same thing abut Reef's form, I felt my eyes rolling. It looked silly to me, as it always had. Also I think the elves or wavedancers are kind of insensitive. Who calls someone broken one? It is like the equivilent of calling that to someone with emotional and mental problems lol. But anyway.
This issue really kind of turned me off for the most part. I might be done with EQ overall because It is just completely and utterly cracked out now.

One thing has been bothering me in all of this. One minor and silly thing stands out: if all the palace dwellers are resorting back to high one form, why the hell do they have long hair? Technically aren't they moving back to conehead form? How come being in the palace makes you taller and lighter but still makes you keep your hair, or actually grow it longer? It would be kind of hilarious if along with getting taller and lighter, they would also start having thinning hair and then eventually be bald lol. It would be creepy. It would also make sense but would be kind of bad ass and scary, because can you imagine if Moonshade appeared to Stongbow in this other form but instead of my little pony long hair, she would be bald and being like, look beloved! I am a high one! And strongbow's freakout would totally be understandable lol. Aaagghhh! My lifemate has lost her beautiful hair! Eyrn! What happened !

Sorry, it is little things like this that make life worth living lol. My imagining the palace full of tall skinny bald elves would totally creep me out and make the palace seem scarier and more intriguing in some way lol

Startear wrote:

Also guys? Strongbow and Moonshade aren't married.

Then the term "life mate" is meaningless.

I thought Door was killed by Dodia?

Zadzi wrote:

It would be kind of hilarious if along with getting taller and lighter, they would also start having thinning hair and then eventually be bald lol. It would be creepy. It would also make sense but would be kind of bad ass and scary....

I'd never stopped to think about this but I totally agree with you!  The "fairy folk" appearance of the High Ones was a disguise they adopted to appeal to humans.  It's easy for us (and, apparently, the elves) to forget that they're actually freaky-looking aliens.  So why are they essentially turning into the Eldar?  Let's see some real aliens up in that spaceship!

Zadzi wrote:

Abd I felt th same thing abut Reef's form, I felt my eyes rolling. It looked silly to me, as it always had.

Apparently, he also smells bad in that form (per Wendy on FB).

Startear wrote:

Yeah, she did mention both of them. And honestly? People sour on their own creations all the time. I don't fault her on that, but I... don't want either Chot or Jethel to die. They are the fist characters I fell completely for. Even though the latter was a creation of Blair.

I didn't mean to imply that she couldn't change her mind, it's just that she very rarely does.  She talks about the elves as some combination of muses/children/guardian angels.  She really seems to "commune" with them more than a lot of creators.  I don't think she'll kill Chot, but she probably never imprinted on Jethel at all since he wasn't "hers."  I hope Chot lives because he's interesting and different, a lot more "human" than many of the elves.

Startear wrote:

Also guys? Strongbow and Moonshade aren't married.

Their lifemating cleaves about as close to our concept of marriage as you'll see in EQ, at least up until FQ.  I was using it as shorthand in this discussion.  Obviously they didn't stand before a priest and plight their troth or go down to city hall to see a justice of the peace.

Quote :

If they just can't work it out, and it is causing a lot of distress, like now... then either someone needs to force them to communicate, or break it off. I don't see anyone stepping in. And if they do it won't ostracize someone from the community. It just happens. It sucks but they'll get over it.

Can someone ever force others to communicate?  The impetus has to come from the parties in conflict.  Someone else can mediate or counsel, but only Moonshade and Strongbow can open their own ears and hearts.  I'm not so sure either one of the will get over their lifemating as easily as you suggest.  But a committed relationship isn't meant to be a prison sentence.  Also, I'm not saying that Moonshade should dump Strongbow.  They're mutually parting ways, whether they acknowledge it or not.  

Vaeri wrote:

and holy snap, it's Door! i definitely did not expect that...but gotdamn does he look ugly

Yeah, he's not looking too good.  Am I crazy, or was he vaguely hot in New Blood--sort of evil sexy--albeit through a hideous Barry Blair filter?

Quote :

and the scene with Ekuar and Two Edge...THIS was a scene where i could see how a lot of people complain about sonny's coloring skills. why on earth is EVERYTHING a shade of yellow...??? then we switch to all blue and just...beh.

The colors are gross.  Shades of my son's dirty diapers....maybe that's what Wendy meant by "organic" LOLOL

I think the use of the term organic in this case is kind of hilarious, because it might refer to the naked woodstock fest. I half expected them to start smoking the compost elves and pass them around in a circle LOL

I do not see anything remotely organic though, otherwise, in this issue. I actually liked the beginning with Leetah and stuff, only Leetah though, not the other off the wall hippy dippy stuff, that part was just didn't make much sense to me

Zadzi wrote:

I think the use of the term organic in this case is kind of hilarious, because it might refer to the naked woodstock fest. I half expected them to start smoking the compost elves and pass them around in a circle LOL

I absolutely cannot read those pages without snickering. If it was actually meant to be sexual that would be one thing--I never had a problem with the scene in the Go-Back lodge or any of the other mild sexual content in EQ. But Wendy herself said on facebook that the fungus elves were simply positioned to cover the search party's bits and bobs. Whaaaa?

I honestly challenge anyone to look at the top of page 11 and not assume that the fungus elves are, for lack of a better term servicing the Wolfriders. One has his/her hand on Skywise's crotch while staring meaningfully into his eyes. Another one has its face buried in Redlance's lap. Nighfall's getting a little nipple action. This is absurd, and I don't know how Wendy could have possibly drawn it and not intended it to look like a sex scene. It grosses me out since it seems so one-sided: "we're here, ugly elves--do us."

Wisp wrote:

Startear wrote:

Also guys? Strongbow and Moonshade aren't married.

Their lifemating cleaves about as close to our concept of marriage as you'll see in EQ, at least up until FQ.  I was using it as shorthand in this discussion.  Obviously they didn't stand before a priest and plight their troth or go down to city hall to see a justice of the peace.

Yeah see, I always thought the best human comparison, while not perfect, to lifemating is coinhabitants. Samboerskap we call it in Norwegian. (Coinhabitant is the word which google told me was correct, if anyone else knows a better word, feel free to tell me!) Two people living in a committed relationship, maybe even having children, but not married. People go for that route usually sign contracts, and have their own rights sanctioned by the government, but I'm not getting into that.

I kind of balk at the marriage connection because it is religiously and politically charged. And a divorce is often thought as bad or unspeakably wrong. Which I feel lifemating isn't? Of course, lifemate often assumes that the elves using it have recognized, but not necessarily. And being together for a time, then going separate ways (like the situation between Serrin/Dart/Talmah) isn't unheard of. But it is vastly different from marriage.

Wisp wrote:

Vaeri wrote:

and holy snap, it's Door! i definitely did not expect that...but gotdamn does he look ugly

Yeah, he's not looking too good.  Am I crazy, or was he vaguely hot in New Blood--sort of evil sexy--albeit through a hideous Barry Blair filter?

Nope! He was never my favorite, but he always striked me as accidentally evil handsome.

So I finally got caught up. One word review?



More word review?

1. So they DIDN'T actually have a wild sex-magic orgy with the fungoids? Words cannot convey my disappointment. (I... assume the idea was the stench of their dead animal skin clothing was confusing the fungoids scene of smell... and they had to get nekkid to let their kinship shine through...?)

2. Booooooooring Wavedancers. If you hate them so much, Wendy, why try to salvage them? I guess she was just too wedded to "Sunstream Recognizes a mermaid and has a merbaby."

3. See, I don't see Ember's crack about Daboi (Da boy?) as sign of her mental trauma and/or wanton cruelty. I see it as just a sign of exasperation. You know a "Fucking hell, I TOLD him those humans weren't worth saving!"

4. DOOR! Dodia didn't hit you hard enough, eh? So... in this new timeline, is she tied up somewhere as a forced incubator for your future Glider prince? Or did she actually ride away in the Palace like it looked at the end of Shards 16? Are we retconning that Recognition-rape-baby out of existence? It would be the... safest choice. God knows FQ has become sooooo safe.

5. RIP Original multi-facetted Rayek. I'll bury you next to pre-Fish Sunstream and Timmain-Virgin Skywise.

6. Is.... is Shuna gonna become Joan of Arc again to fight the Djunsmen? That would be awesome.

@Wingthing: 1. Once I bought a whip in Mongolia as a gift (kids there use them while learning how to ride). Of course, I didn't smelled at it in the store, otherwise I would have realised, that this traditionally made whip smells like dog food. Apparently leather can smell like this. Maybe that's how the Wolfriders tame their wolves, not some mystical wolfblood

2. Most of us don't like the Wavedancers. The tail and hair of the red haired one looks weird, especially the tail. Guess she has no bones below her hip.

4. I'm telling you, Dodia is either one of the elves in wrapstuff in the palace or the 'brave one', who died on the trip there.

You know, I read the part where Reef is trying to feel the metal ship. And DAMN look at those thighs!

Vaeri wrote:

and holy snap, it's Door! i definitely did not expect that...but gotdamn does he look ugly...i can only imagine what Wingthing's Spar was saying when he popped up. might be almost as bad as Vaya's reaction to Aurek's canon appearance...*snicker* so what the hell is he gonna do, work to free Winnowill's spirit?

Actually I like Door's look so far ... he looks better than Mr. Sourpuss Kureel. His entry is not a big surprise for me - waited to see him pop in since FQ #8. He was shown when Sunstream released the call - as the "most lost of the lost".

Miss Gillespie wrote:

4. I'm telling you, Dodia is either one of the elves in wrapstuff in the palace or the 'brave one', who died on the trip there.

In case we'll never learn what actually happened to either of them this "brave one = Dodia" will be my head canon now!

My burning question on reading this issue - are the wavedancers ( not waved ancestors, thank you autocorrect) going to carry daboi all the way to the palace? Or is Reef going to shape him some gills or something?

All the rest I echo everyone's  meh's and WTF's

Outlier wrote:

My burning question on reading this issue - are the wavedancers ( not waved ancestors, thank you autocorrect) going to carry daboi all the way to the palace? Or is Reef going to shape him some gills or something?

They're going to take him to the nearest cliff and hurl him from it

Good point, though...for a second I thught Reef was gong to carry him on his back the whole way, but that wouldn't really make sense, considering they could easily be shot at. I wondered if maybe they are taking him back to Ember, which would really suck for him. Maybe taking him back to Tier and the other humans?

wingthing wrote:

3. See, I don't see Ember's crack about Daboi (Da boy?) as sign of her mental trauma and/or wanton cruelty. I see it as just a sign of exasperation. You know a "Fucking hell, I TOLD him those humans weren't worth saving!"

Oh, I get it as an expression of frustration. It's very human though and seems kind of out-of-place for the "more-spiritually-evolved-than-thou" elves. There's also the point, that I think begs to be explored, that Ember of all elves should understand the ability of this group of humans to terrify you past your better judgement/moral limits.

I find myself hoping that Ember and Daboi will have a chance to chat at some point and Ember will realize that the info was tortured out of him, just like it was out of her.

Yeah, gotta say I agree with manga on Ember's cracked out comment. It is very understandable to be so frustrated. But yes, the elves are always made out to be all high and evolved and beyond any of that commentry. It is the kind of thing I would expect Strongbow to say. Come to think of it, he should just join up with Ember, I mean with all the moping about the Way and all that, it would make sense.

And another point is we are also talking about Ember, the same character that took significant risks on someone as gray and shadowy as Lerigren or whatever his name is. As freaking elf hunter and assassin.  Practically sacrificed some of her tribe to befriend him because she though he was 'clever'. And while this was at the beginning of her chiefship, and got her into a lot of trouble and essentially got her chief's lock hacked off by a really pissy Scouter, she still railed and ranted about how important it was to have human allies. Granted, daboi is nowhere as clever or cunning as Lerigen (how the hell is his name spelled omg) but he spent significant time with elves and simply rejoining the human race under such tremendous pressure should be taken into consideration. So the comment just feels weird. I would understand her saying she would like to turn his stones into a gravel driveway that moment, or whatever elfian equivilant of frustration would be said. The comment about shoving him off a cliff after he was tortured just feels a little gross.

Sigh... I miss Lehrigen-era Ember...

ErinC1978 wrote:

I find myself hoping that Ember and Daboi will have a chance to chat at some point and Ember will realize that the info was tortured out of him, just like it was out of her.

I bet you're right. Good catch.

Embala wrote:

@Miss Gillespie wrote:
4. I'm telling you, Dodia is either one of the elves in wrapstuff in the palace or the 'brave one', who died on the trip there.

In case we'll never learn what actually happened to either of them this "brave one = Dodia" will be my head canon now!

That's perfect. Head-canon accepted!

ahahaha! oh yes Zadzi, definitely need some Weatherbird therapy sessions up in here! in the worst way, woof. give Door and Rayek/Winnowill some therapy, and maybe a touch for Timmain and Cutter. XD i fully expect a nice little mini story about those therapy sessions when your computer status is returned :p

and just throwing my little two cents in there, i had always thought of lifemating to be their worlds equivilant of marriage...i mean sure they don't have rings for it and the paperwork, but more often then not there IS a celebration about their Joining Day, and it's like..an agreement to generally spend your life together, but not necessarily monogamous. but hey just my view point.

Wingthing....don't prompt my diseased brain, because there is a strong part of me that would love to see that number 4 option...forced incubator! i would be vaguely disappointed if that storyline was retconned out of the continuity though...i mean sure Forevergreen's art sucked, but the story was largely compelling. Door made a pretty gotdanged badass villian! he made his followers frickin swallow stones so he could kill them if they rebelled!! i almost want to say that just surpasses Winnowill on a few levels.

and i personally thought Ember's comment was a bit harsh...i mean okay i grant she's still got some trauma from what happened with Angriff, but come ON, what happened to the fiery sprite who said Tyleet should be rewarded for making positive interactions with humans? who indeed basically disagreed with her whole tribe to befriend a human hunting them, and demanded none of the human hunting party be killed?

I thought Dodia was picked up with Dart and the others at the end of Shards?

Complicated story ...

The big finale of SHARDS showed her in the Palace wtogether with Dart's band - probably pregnant.

BBlair's Fire-Eye story showed her in the Forevergreen, half mad and obsessed by the idea that Door is alive and will steal their child of Recognition. I blame BB that her solution was to 1. don't name the kid 2. tie him up in a cave 3. don't teach him speach 4. leave him alone for days or longer ... ah well.

Retcon and/or unconsistencies are not an invention of FQ.


And suddenly I wonder how WP managed to draw those hideous boots and the ridiculous steel bikini bottom.

She might have had a drawing of Red Sonja lying around and traced them of that.

Nope, WP's Red Sonja steel bikini looked way better. That's BB's design.