Pretty stark contrast with Zurith … and Tynan … and pretty much all the other gods we’ve seen. Even Vash seemed too intense to be like, “What I want from this moment is to share our enjoyment of this tea.”
What I find interesting is how Kendal holds his sword here, like a fellow adventurer or badge of office. What could that mean, especially to Kendal the unexpected child of Vash?
And I love the look of Argist’s eyes and ear. Really cool!!
I think Vash would approve of time taken to get acquainted with friendly beings and just relax and hang out. So at least Kendal should get brownie points for being sociable at least! I am sure Alinua would also approve of Kendal getting social graces too!
DM: A local city god has a new quest for you!
Player: Darn it, what now? We just finished a quest, I hoped for some down time. Ok, let me hear it.
DM (as said local deity): Hang out with me for a while, I’m lonely and need to blow of some steam and relax.
Player: O,O
Player: Okay.
I think it’s less that he’s got a lot of allies and more that he’s just been a friendly neighbor to them, apart from Zuurith. With Argist, I think it’s also a matter of being a close trading destination as well as gratitude for taking out Tynan.
Vash was a heroic “Protector God” type of City and, from the sound of things, was a major player in regional trade and defense alliances. If nothing else, he was the linchpin of the “Keep Out Tynan!” pact.
Makes sense he’d have a fair number of allies everywhere.
I think the ‘camera’ must be pressed against Argist’s sternum, looking past their chest and into the crook of their elbow. The upper arm disappears off-screen and the forearm angles down towards the teapot?
Yes, I think you’re right. If you look closely you can just see the cuff of his other arm below his elbow. It makes a lot of sense given the puffiness of those sleeves. I have made and worn many such shirts and I can tell you that once they get to a certain volume the sleeves can be… unwieldy. If anyone here wants to make a pirate shirt, I recommend making the sleeve circumference about the same as your arm’s eye.
…you made me massively over analyze panel 2..
1. I agree with Galadare, we are seeing both arms.
2. by how much he’s tilting the pot and how little force the tea is exiting the pot with I think the pot is nearly empty,(on principle of the more tea in the pot above the tip of the spout, the more force the stream of tea exits the spout with, the further the stream of tea travels in the direction the spout points before succombung to gravity. Here the tip of the spout is at the bottom making all the tea in the pot above it) meaning either he made very little tea, in which case why the big pot, did he not have a smaller one, or this is not their first cups, or he is using magic to make the tea pour neatly- in which case why is he tilting the pot so much?
it is very awkward to hold å pot like that.
a pot that size is probably kind of heavy on its own, especially as it is probably ceramic or stone and not a thin sheet of metal as the cups seem to be the same material and you don’t serve steaming hot tea in a metal cup with no handle for obvious reasons. and holding a large ceramic pot with that grip at that angle is hard, as a god he probably has the strength to do so, and he doesn’t need to worry about messing up his joints by holding something heavy like that, but there are probably better ways to do this.
is he just bad at pouring tea? it would make sense for him to be bad at pouring tea due to having little practice with it.
In conclution: I have stared at this panel for way too long and massively overthought this and the Doylist explanation is probably somewhere along the lines of complicated hard pose to draw(particularly the grip of the hand, I wouldn’t be able to draw better without spending way more time/effort than is worth it for that panel) and/or lack of a good refrence image, but my theory for the in universe explanation is: Argist has one(1) teapot+cups set that was gifted to him ages ago that he rarely uses, he made enough tea for two cups and no more, we see the last moment of pouring before the tea runs out, and he is kind of bad at pouring tea due to a mix of little practice and the godly ability to ignore the consequences(having to use more strength+risking messing up his joints) of doing it badly.
Awww, that’s so sweet! Kendal being polite & cute. Argist being a lovely host. And tea, of course. Civilized behavior is enhanced by the addition of tea.
The fact that Argist was a friend and ally of Vash suggests that they probably don’t think very highly of Zuurith. Since Zuurith and Argist are fairly close together geographically, it would probably be in both of their interests to maintain a civil relationship, but that doesn’t require them to like each other.
As a port city reknowned for trading, Argist is likely incredibly sociable and probably had ties to every city on the continent. Zuurith wasn’t. I imagine a fascistic, self-sufficient city like Zuurith would keep to itself, but all those prisoners were producing materials for trading, among other uses. Argist and Zuurith probably had a professional relationship, but no afternoon tea.
Yeah, no tea for zuurith! Or maybe argist is a really friendly dude and is friends with everyone? And for his eyes, Vash’s eyes were like this too in the begining and also zuurith. I think it’s a god thing.
Aw man, I was so certain it wasn’t, too! *takes a bite of crow* Man, this tastes awful. Oh well. Anyway, my apologies for doubting you last week, NoName!
tea is a temporary boost: +3 Wisdom and immunity to the Despair affliction
We have seen Argist for precisely one page and I already love this character. Argist seems so nice and chill. (I also completely forgot until now that this city would have a god, because that is how things work in this world. Cx)
I also especially appreciate Kendal’s smile and floof factor in panel 5. It feels soft and genuine. I haven’t missed the fact that he’s still got bandages under the poofy shirt, though. Here’s hoping he’s granted a long enough reprieve to recover.
Oh thank goodness, finally a god who isn’t speaking in riddles, making threats, or giving the party a quest. Just one who knows how to relax and enjoy the simple things the mortals have to offer.
I love Argist’s design! They definitely seem like a calmer, more relaxed and friendly type with their color scheme. I also appreciate the attention to detail with the eyes of gods, for example, Tynan’s eyes had lightning flickering out of them, and Vash and Zurrith’s eyes were more confined to their eye sockets. And now with Argist, their eyes are more bubbly and seafoamish.
Also, does anyone know Argist’s pronouns?
From Red’s tumblr: This incarnation uses He/Him pronouns, but uses the royal we in official business. Argist also has a mer-form for talking with the merfolk, and uses she/they pronouns in that form like all merfolk. Gods are known to use different pronouns in different forms. source
KENDAL HAS A NEW SHIRT! It even fits the upcoming sea journey thing they’re probably going to be on for the next fifteen years real world time! This is a momentous occasion!
I love how Kendal can just casually go up to gods and be like “Hey, man! How you been? Yeah, still doing the whole Vash quest. How are the subjects?” I’m just picturing someone who doesn’t know Kendal’s whole deal watching this random blonde dude with a shiny sword talking to every powerful like they’re visiting their aunt/uncle/nonbianary parent sibling for the weekend.
Incorrect Aurora Quote #1:
Argist and Kendal, singing: “It’s tough to be a god…”
Kendal: Actually, in my case…
Argist: Please don’t throw off the song’s groove. Or mine. Tea?
For mobile readers.
Alt-text: enjoy that downtime while it lasts buddy
Image source: ally
Tumblr text: just a couple pretty dudes in pirate shirts
Twitter text:If I were a fish man
Ya ba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dum!
Tevya, that you?!
All day long I would dibba dibba dum, if I was a fishy man!
Twitter text: If I were a fish man
I usually read Aurora on the way to school, so you three are absolute heroes.
Awww, I love Argist already!
Nice chat over tea
Argist seems pretty friendly
Now, relax with me!
I love Argist just having a normal room. in a house
most chill god so far
and a change of clothes for Kendal, ofc
Pretty stark contrast with Zurith … and Tynan … and pretty much all the other gods we’ve seen. Even Vash seemed too intense to be like, “What I want from this moment is to share our enjoyment of this tea.”
we all love chill gods instead of the ones that are threatening to smite people’s asses
The shirt, Kendel is wearing a fluffy shirt
What I find interesting is how Kendal holds his sword here, like a fellow adventurer or badge of office. What could that mean, especially to Kendal the unexpected child of Vash?
And I love the look of Argist’s eyes and ear. Really cool!!
I think we already know. Kendal and Kendal, the sword and the person, are inextricably bonded. He always keeps it close, especially when meeting gods.
he looks so cozy!
Loving the fact that an upturned collar on his plain white shirt is Kendal’s equivalent of a radical season 2 wardrobe change.
he’s either still figuring out a look, or is a minimalist by nature.
It’s the perfect outfit to start layering armour and magical trinkets onto as they’re acquired over the course of the adventure.
He doesn’t get xp for drinking tea, because this isn’t Regency RPG. Or is it?
I think Vash would approve of time taken to get acquainted with friendly beings and just relax and hang out. So at least Kendal should get brownie points for being sociable at least! I am sure Alinua would also approve of Kendal getting social graces too!
Well, since it’s a god asking him to drink tea, it most definitely counts as a quest, so it certainly has an XP reward attached
DM: A local city god has a new quest for you!
Player: Darn it, what now? We just finished a quest, I hoped for some down time. Ok, let me hear it.
DM (as said local deity): Hang out with me for a while, I’m lonely and need to blow of some steam and relax.
Player: O,O
Player: Okay.
Argist is very swell kind of guy
And shares tea without the need to pry
Vash seems to have quite a few allies all over the place, though with Argist I assume it has more to do with defeating Tynan than anything else.
For whatever reason this page made me think of Kendal putting up “Have you seen my cat?” posters with information about Vash.
I think it’s less that he’s got a lot of allies and more that he’s just been a friendly neighbor to them, apart from Zuurith. With Argist, I think it’s also a matter of being a close trading destination as well as gratitude for taking out Tynan.
Vash was a heroic “Protector God” type of City and, from the sound of things, was a major player in regional trade and defense alliances. If nothing else, he was the linchpin of the “Keep Out Tynan!” pact.
Makes sense he’d have a fair number of allies everywhere.
….Also enemies.
And this is the moment where I have the head-thwap.
It’s a city. Of course Kendal will need to check in with the local god.
A cup of tea? That’s more like it. Rest and heal? That sounds as wonderful as a bubble bath.
Uncle Iroh vibes
“The secret ingredienti is ☆LOVE☆”
“This tea is nothing more than hot leaf juice!”
“Uncle, that’s what all tea is.”
“How could a member of my own family say something so horrible…”
The sheer dopamine I just got from this comment, thank you.
“Sick of tea?!? That would be like, sick of breathing!!”
friend!
How’s that arm bent in panel 2?
Hmm, I can kind of see it if the elbow is strongly bent, but I agree, that looks like the arm is angled strangely.
I think the ‘camera’ must be pressed against Argist’s sternum, looking past their chest and into the crook of their elbow. The upper arm disappears off-screen and the forearm angles down towards the teapot?
I think we’re seeing both arms. Argist is pouring tea with their left hand and keeping that big poofy sleeve out of the way with their right.
Yes, I think you’re right. If you look closely you can just see the cuff of his other arm below his elbow. It makes a lot of sense given the puffiness of those sleeves. I have made and worn many such shirts and I can tell you that once they get to a certain volume the sleeves can be… unwieldy. If anyone here wants to make a pirate shirt, I recommend making the sleeve circumference about the same as your arm’s eye.
God powers! If I was the personification of an abstract idea I would totally break my arms and re shape them all the time
To be fair, I’d more surprised if a Singular Wet Ramen Noodle even HAD bones to be broken.
…you made me massively over analyze panel 2..
1. I agree with Galadare, we are seeing both arms.
2. by how much he’s tilting the pot and how little force the tea is exiting the pot with I think the pot is nearly empty,(on principle of the more tea in the pot above the tip of the spout, the more force the stream of tea exits the spout with, the further the stream of tea travels in the direction the spout points before succombung to gravity. Here the tip of the spout is at the bottom making all the tea in the pot above it) meaning either he made very little tea, in which case why the big pot, did he not have a smaller one, or this is not their first cups, or he is using magic to make the tea pour neatly- in which case why is he tilting the pot so much?
it is very awkward to hold å pot like that.
a pot that size is probably kind of heavy on its own, especially as it is probably ceramic or stone and not a thin sheet of metal as the cups seem to be the same material and you don’t serve steaming hot tea in a metal cup with no handle for obvious reasons. and holding a large ceramic pot with that grip at that angle is hard, as a god he probably has the strength to do so, and he doesn’t need to worry about messing up his joints by holding something heavy like that, but there are probably better ways to do this.
is he just bad at pouring tea? it would make sense for him to be bad at pouring tea due to having little practice with it.
In conclution: I have stared at this panel for way too long and massively overthought this and the Doylist explanation is probably somewhere along the lines of complicated hard pose to draw(particularly the grip of the hand, I wouldn’t be able to draw better without spending way more time/effort than is worth it for that panel) and/or lack of a good refrence image, but my theory for the in universe explanation is: Argist has one(1) teapot+cups set that was gifted to him ages ago that he rarely uses, he made enough tea for two cups and no more, we see the last moment of pouring before the tea runs out, and he is kind of bad at pouring tea due to a mix of little practice and the godly ability to ignore the consequences(having to use more strength+risking messing up his joints) of doing it badly.
I just wish I could see Red’s face after reading this entire thread
Argist, the god of the city, thanks Kendal,
From Tynan’s terror now free,
And sitting down with him he offers
To share a pot of tea.
I had a lovely pot of tea this morning, all to my self :-)
Awww, that’s so sweet! Kendal being polite & cute. Argist being a lovely host. And tea, of course. Civilized behavior is enhanced by the addition of tea.
Argist, the god of the city, thanks Kendal,
From Tynan’s terror now free,
And sitting down with him he offers
To share a pot of tea.
My WiFi went out just as I posted this, so I don’t know if it went up.
Anonymous Aurora Question #43: What do you believe Argist would think about Zuurith?
Also: Why are Argists eyes so cool?
The fact that Argist was a friend and ally of Vash suggests that they probably don’t think very highly of Zuurith. Since Zuurith and Argist are fairly close together geographically, it would probably be in both of their interests to maintain a civil relationship, but that doesn’t require them to like each other.
As a port city reknowned for trading, Argist is likely incredibly sociable and probably had ties to every city on the continent. Zuurith wasn’t. I imagine a fascistic, self-sufficient city like Zuurith would keep to itself, but all those prisoners were producing materials for trading, among other uses. Argist and Zuurith probably had a professional relationship, but no afternoon tea.
Yeah, no tea for zuurith! Or maybe argist is a really friendly dude and is friends with everyone? And for his eyes, Vash’s eyes were like this too in the begining and also zuurith. I think it’s a god thing.
Argist, S-tier favourite god right at once!
ARGIST IS SO PRETTY 😭😭 ALSO KENDAL WITH POOFY SLEEVES DKDJSNDNDSKSJXK
Perhaps Argist’s avatar/incarnation is not so constrained by things such as ‘bones’ as us human-types might assume.
Meant as reply to TheGeniusIdiotAndStickMerchant, but whatever.
I like Kendal’s new shirt. He went so long without one.
Also I think Iroh and Argist would get along…
GENDER? GIVE PLEASE?
silly pretty fish man i love him
Kendal’s shirt collar though
There once was a god of fish
Who’s fulfilling every traveler’s wish
To have a rest
At his behest.
He pours Kendal tea with a swish.
Huh, I thought the blue person in the storyboard was Kendel since he’s here maybe it’s a doctor? Or that scene just takes place after this one 😅
I have a strong need for that sexy fish boy
A-HA! It was Tynan! And I guess he did get some “terrorizing the local mortals” in after all
Aw man, I was so certain it wasn’t, too! *takes a bite of crow* Man, this tastes awful. Oh well. Anyway, my apologies for doubting you last week, NoName!
tea is a temporary boost: +3 Wisdom and immunity to the Despair affliction
We have seen Argist for precisely one page and I already love this character. Argist seems so nice and chill. (I also completely forgot until now that this city would have a god, because that is how things work in this world. Cx)
I also especially appreciate Kendal’s smile and floof factor in panel 5. It feels soft and genuine. I haven’t missed the fact that he’s still got bandages under the poofy shirt, though. Here’s hoping he’s granted a long enough reprieve to recover.
Oh thank goodness, finally a god who isn’t speaking in riddles, making threats, or giving the party a quest. Just one who knows how to relax and enjoy the simple things the mortals have to offer.
Don’t call it yet, it’s fully possible they will (give them a quest at least, I don’t they’re about to start threatening).
Awww! This is so wholesome!
peak “-u-” energy
I love Argist’s design! They definitely seem like a calmer, more relaxed and friendly type with their color scheme. I also appreciate the attention to detail with the eyes of gods, for example, Tynan’s eyes had lightning flickering out of them, and Vash and Zurrith’s eyes were more confined to their eye sockets. And now with Argist, their eyes are more bubbly and seafoamish.
Also, does anyone know Argist’s pronouns?
From Red’s tumblr: This incarnation uses He/Him pronouns, but uses the royal we in official business. Argist also has a mer-form for talking with the merfolk, and uses she/they pronouns in that form like all merfolk. Gods are known to use different pronouns in different forms.
source
I roll for insight.. Is the tea poisoned?? Nat 14
TL;DR: Chillin’ with a god, nothing special
KENDAL HAS A NEW SHIRT! It even fits the upcoming sea journey thing they’re probably going to be on for the next fifteen years real world time! This is a momentous occasion!
I know it’s very important to him, but it’s pretty funny he’s just got the sword in his lap at this friendly chat.
A god that’s actually CHILL? And not in the freeze-you-to-death way? Awesome. This city has great vibes.
Finally a friendly god.
I love how Kendal can just casually go up to gods and be like “Hey, man! How you been? Yeah, still doing the whole Vash quest. How are the subjects?” I’m just picturing someone who doesn’t know Kendal’s whole deal watching this random blonde dude with a shiny sword talking to every powerful like they’re visiting their aunt/uncle/nonbianary parent sibling for the weekend.
I like Argist’s hair! Turquoise and floof
Incorrect Aurora Quote #1:
Argist and Kendal, singing: “It’s tough to be a god…”
Kendal: Actually, in my case…
Argist: Please don’t throw off the song’s groove. Or mine. Tea?
I like him. He seems cool
I like the idea that Kendal walks into town and Argist just pops into existence (incarnation), all eager to get a chance to hang with the demigod.
It’s been so long since we last saw Kendal in a bright environment that I forgot just how yellow his hair was.
Is that one of Erin’s shirts? He wore one similar when his stuff was stolen if I remember correctly.
I deeply love how Kendal is just chilling with most gods they meet (Certain but notable exceptions excluded).
They are all just like, “huh, wonder what ‘that’ is. Oh, would you look at that, a chill dude.”
Tea with a god! new shirt! things are looking up!
haha. I enjoyed the page subscript. How much xp indeed 🙂