Thorondor “Ian” Caladharas is the 18 year old heir to one of the first of the Merchant Houses. An intelligent, independent teenager; Ian has a tendency towards irreverence and and frustration. In all honesty, he doesn’t care what his grandfather says he is heir to, he just wants to have a normal life. Or at least as normal a one as possible. (As my skills improved I made some revamps to this characters appearance to reflect aging and such as well. The top picture is how he is currently modeled. )
Julia Wells, significant other of Ian Caladharas. Julia co runs the Wells Hotel in Erech’s Clocktower District. For those people who have rpg’d in this world: The Wells Hotel is now known as Cytheron’s. Julia and Ian tied the knot in the City of Greyrest in the Crossing Territories.
Good catch. I’m kinda of embarrassed to say that I actually googled book orientation for that section. I figured that it might have changed over the years, and I wanted the guy who had this place to use an ‘older’ way
Most excellent story and art, Mr. Roden! I discovered this comic a couple of weeks ago and just caught up from the beginning. Awesome work! I love a well developed backstory and world. You have mentioned at least once that it is based off an RPG. Which game system did you run?
Initially it was a modded version of AD&D 2nd Edition…later we ended up using the WoD Storyteller system. I still have character sheets and game notes for the system around the house somewhere.
Cool, I’m an old D&D gamer, cut my teeth on D&D Basic and the original black cover Traveler back in the early 80s, migrated to AD&D, then Iron Crown Rolemaster and Spacemaster ( which would have done well for this world you’ve created, as it included high fantasy spells, monsters and swords with high space opera . Everything from spells and swords to blasters and AIs). Kudos on your great story!
Holy crap! You mean there are others who’ve played MERP? Most of the gamers I talk to, I have to explain what it is. Then they ask if it’s based on LotRO.
Yes, I was a MERP player. I think I still have my copy of Cirith Ungol and Shelobs Lair around here somewhere. ICE made great modules back in the day. It’s a shame they no longer have the Middle Earth license.
I notice that in the last panel, the book spines are oriented in the French fashion rather than the American one 😉
We have both in our house 😉
Good catch. I’m kinda of embarrassed to say that I actually googled book orientation for that section. I figured that it might have changed over the years, and I wanted the guy who had this place to use an ‘older’ way
Most excellent story and art, Mr. Roden! I discovered this comic a couple of weeks ago and just caught up from the beginning. Awesome work! I love a well developed backstory and world. You have mentioned at least once that it is based off an RPG. Which game system did you run?
Initially it was a modded version of AD&D 2nd Edition…later we ended up using the WoD Storyteller system. I still have character sheets and game notes for the system around the house somewhere.
Cool, I’m an old D&D gamer, cut my teeth on D&D Basic and the original black cover Traveler back in the early 80s, migrated to AD&D, then Iron Crown Rolemaster and Spacemaster ( which would have done well for this world you’ve created, as it included high fantasy spells, monsters and swords with high space opera . Everything from spells and swords to blasters and AIs). Kudos on your great story!
Thanks. My RPG background is pretty similar (substitute MERP for Spacemaster) and add in a hefty dose of Cyberpunk 2020 and Gamma World.
Glad you like the strip BTW 🙂
Most definitely! Cyberpunk 2020.. I never had a character live much more than 5 or 6 sessions in that game:)
Holy crap! You mean there are others who’ve played MERP? Most of the gamers I talk to, I have to explain what it is. Then they ask if it’s based on LotRO.
Yes, I was a MERP player. I think I still have my copy of Cirith Ungol and Shelobs Lair around here somewhere. ICE made great modules back in the day. It’s a shame they no longer have the Middle Earth license.
Some interesting names on the spines…Skinner twice…Dr Moreau.