2.2.7
on June 17, 2024
at 3:00 am
What was it like drawing this thing from so many weird angles? Well, let’s just say I was referring to the ship in my layer data as “the damn boat” by this point
Aurora
A fantasy webcomic. Updates M-W-F.
For mobile readers.
Alt-text: GLOWING MAGIC CIRCLES MY BELOVED
Image source: pace
Tumblr text n y o o m
Look at 1.5.2
Twitter text: gotta go fast
#relatable
alternate text: “put it to ludicrous speed!” “ludicrous speed???” “LUDICROUS SPEED!”
Hi, I’m caught up on writing these now! Jsyk, I’ll probably be later than usual for the pages this summer, maybe even a day or two late, because I don’t use my computer that much during summer break and writing these on my phone is a PAIN. I’ll try to remember, though!
With a soft sound, two rings of blue lettering appear around the boat, and it starts slowly gliding forwards.
“Pretty leisurely pace,” Falst remarks.
“Not for long,” Erin says, reaching over the wheel. His hand clamps on a stone in the wood. It flares purple as soon as his hand touches it – an air lacrima.
Like with the water lacrima, two rings of lettering appear, but this time behind the boat. The blast of wind from them catches the sail, and the boat starts racing forwards. Alinua staggers backwards, unable to keep her balance.
I love the flailing, screaming Alinua in the last panel!
And they’re off to adventure!
Can’t wait to see this journey go wrong every which way!
UI note for Tarren: on the next boat, make it so you don’t have to reach OVER the wheel to grab the lacrima. Looks kinda uncomfortable.
At first I thought Erin’s cape was blowing the wrong way, along with the other’s hair and Dainix’ poncho, but I guess the wind lacrima is aiming directly for the sail, so the floof is just feeling the ship’s acceleration.
Also, tiny Tess on the Mast!
its for moments like these that erin has all those capes for
also not alinua nearly falling over 😭 i would too bestie i would too
Magic shiny boat go fwoooosh! SO pretty. That magic wind effect-!
And such a happy Kendal!
They drift on a circle of water slowly,
Erin reaches in front of the tiller:
He touches the lacrima to summon a circle
Of wind with driving power.
Oh no, a place with very clearly defined, interesting geography. They’re definitely going to have a fight there.
Oh dear, ‘the d-mn boat’? she’s not going to last much longer, is she?”
Alrighty, on the note of runes, here they are. I’ll be referring to the sequences as seen in the last panel:
Wind inner ring sequence: “FLOW STRAIGHT ONWARDS”
Wind outer ring sequence: “CALM QUIET BREATH STILL”
Now, the water rings are extremely difficult to tell here, but I’m quite confident that they are the same as the sequences decoded last page.
You are a wonder @Mat! (smile)
So it makes sense that the inner circle pushes air forward, and the outer circle acts as a catalyst/dampener to prevent the air from spilling all over (i.e. on the passenger and the deck)?
Certainly sounds like it.
ohhhhhh
ofc. if you were summoning/creating a massive blast of wind, it would create a lot of distruption in the nearby atmosphere. Two circles to precisely control flow is FASCINATING.
I wonder how close the summoned wind needs to be to the sail to keep the flow constant? how fast does the precise stream break down into turbulence?
The water lacrima sends them safely out
Then wind grabs the sail, with a circle about
NYOOOOM!
Love how Kendal’s chilling and enjoying the ride while Alinua is S C R E A M I N G
Nothing can possibly go wrong.
The magic circles look amazing!!!!
Alinua was *not* ready for the boat to go zoom
Tess sitting atop the mast 😛 Love it.
I feel like I definitely should have asked this sooner: Erin usually travels by merchant ship, right? Does he even KNOW how to navigate at sea?!
Look at that smile on Kendal’s face. He’ll make a great mariner yet.
Dainix on the other hand, ha. As for Alinua, hee hee hee. She’s just lucky Erin had Tarren slow it down.
Why do I have the feeling Alinua have gone flying off the boat if Erin had not fixed jumpy Tarran devised wind power? Not that Tess or Kendal seem to mind…
Also I keep hearing “Warp Speed, Mr. Sulu” calmly stated in my ears as the wind magic kicks in..(to a wonderful sound effect written WHOOM!)
Yeah, “WHOOM” isn’t too far off from what a big sail sounds like when it fills. Sort of a “fffffWHUUMMP” noise.
Cooooooooool!
I like how everyone’s chill and calm but aliuna looks like she already wants to get off the ship, she looks terrified XD
YOOOO GLOWY GLOWY MAGIC STUFF
She is now…
Tess of the Water Sea
TL;DR: Slam the accelerator, let’s gooooo!!!
TESSALATING MAGIC CIRCLESSSS
YAYY YIPPEEEEEE
Everyone talking about Ali nearly falling over, but I think it’s interesting that Kendal seems to enjoy this.
I’m hearing all the Star Trek captains saying their catchphrases right now. Yes, even Spock’s “I would like the ship to go. Now.”
I love all the faces and tiny little guys on this page.
As your self-designated ‘here’s who to zoom in on’ person, Kendal’s having a blast in the last panel, Ali’s falling over (as everyone has generously pointed out), Erin’s holding on to the steering wheel for dear life, Falst looks unfazed (and also doesn’t have eyes) and Dainix is very hard to read as he has no mouth (and also his poncho is not covering much atm.)
As your self-designated ‘here’s who to zoom in on’ person, here’s who to zoom in on (everybody). Kendal’s enjoying the breeze, Ali’s falling over (as everyone has generously pointed out), Erin’s hanging on to the steering wheel for dear life, False is both unfazed and eyeless, Danix’s poncho is not covering much atm, and Tess is precariously balanced on the mast up there (let’s hope she doesn’t stand up.)
Sorry for spamming the message. My comments weren’t popping up on my screen :/
There once was a boat on the sea
To bring the floofs where they want to be.
With a gleeful grin
Erin brings the wind in
And suddenly the boat goes WHEEE!
Hey! Inside the harbor is a “no wake” zone!!
Yeah, let’s get in the cutter and go give them a summons to the harbormas– Oh, they’re over the horizon already.
GLOWING BUTTONS WHEEEEEEEE
As your self-designated ‘here’s who to zoom in on’ person, here’s who to zoom in on (everybody). Kendal’s enjoying the breeze, Ali’s falling over (as everyone has generously pointed out), Erin’s hanging on to the steering wheel for dear life, False is both unfazed and eyeless, Dainix’s poncho is not covering much atm, and Tess is precariously balanced on the mast up there (let’s hope she doesn’t stand up.)
WARP FACTOR NINE!
Note to self: Never let Erin drive on the freeway. Especially not in New Jersey.
oh boy this is going well, sure hope nothing horrendously bad happens due to the sheer gall of Erin’s hubris
I love the damn boat. Wheeeee~
Dainix: *dramatic poncho flapping in the wind*
Tess: wow, great view of the open ocean!
Alinua, in the process of falling over: AAAAA—
Kendal, enjoying the breeze, having a good time: sorry, did you say something?
Hmm, maybe I should be referring to the vessel as “The Damn Boat” rather than “Ship of Fools”.
Your frustrations were worth it Red, that is a lovely boat. I remember hearing a factoid that the vehicles in 101 Dalmatians movie were cardboard models that were filmed, moved in front of the camera, and then frames of the live action footage was xeroxed onto cells for the animation side to fill in. Seems you’re not the only one who thinks drawing vehicles at multiple angles is a pain.
Also on the art side, I love those runic circle effects. Overlapping water circles across the whole boat to achieve the intended effect while still being comfortable, but the real show are those wind circles. Two circles of the same element working together is a display of precision we haven’t seen in the comic; perfect for what this boat is meant for. The wave and spray effects in the final panel are good too.
While all the other reactions are going on (I agree with everyone about Alinua btw), there’s a very small Tarren in the final panel, watching their work; I imagine they have a smile on their face. I can also imagine someone rushing on the pier to deliver a message from Zuurith to the gang, only to find they’ve just missed them and any wind borb would be destroyed by the sail wind inscriptions.
Right? I’m not surprised Tarren is seeing them off (has to make sure everything is working to their expectations, after all), but I keep waiting for another shoe to drop: a message, someone from Zuurith, something the Floof Squad really should have known before they set sail. Of course, with the knowledge we have so far, they have enough stacked against them as it is!
I like “Ship of Fools” 🙂 But I’m still betting it’s going to be “The Impressive Shipwreck” by the end of the chapter!
Ship of Floofs
I insist on “Tarren’s Masterpiece”
I love how everyone but anulia is unaffected by the GIANT wind storm that made the boat go about 3 billion miles an hour. cliche.
Did he just invent those scrolling orbs that people use in place of computer mice? Pondering this orb….
Tess at the top vibing though lol.