Engagement on Vineyard Hill Page 5
November 18th, 2014GRRRROAK! The chimera emerges from its pen on page 5 of Engagement on Vineyard Hill. Chimera in Corthis are not the creatures of myth or D&D lore. Chimera are unnatural combinations of creatures through the powers of alchemy. This one is an amalgamation of a lion, a frog, and a scorpion. I’ll discuss chimera more in Friday’s almanac entry.
To see another of the chimera’s powers, please vote for Snow by Night on Top Web Comics.
An interesting development indeed! Chimerism is presumably an unorthodox use of alchemy, much as modern scientists experimenting with it tend to be slighted as pushing the boundaries of acceptable? If so, one can see why the shock and awe factor would be so intense!
Plot aside, those horses are really well drawn!
Now is this thing “tame” or essentially wild?
If it is wild, it is going to get out of there fast, which may be rough on those in the way, but will allow the attack to resume shortly, or it may stop for lunch, which will also allow the attack to resume, unless the lunch is still alive and they try a rescue.
But if it is “tame”, it seems to have been ordered to attack, and will disrupt the attackers for some time, allowing the defenders plenty of time to rally and regroup.
The evidence seems to argue for wild. It is clearly not fully tame or it would have not been locked in the cage and the defender looks to be trying to avoid any notice by it. But a case can be made for “tame” [The wagon doesn’t look sturdy enough to hold it if it was desperate to get out, and “attack dogs” are often enough kept chained up.] But I would still say “wild”.
Possibly it’s trained not to attack people in red coats. Or perhaps the handler just got run through and the Morantines have released it, knowing they can’t control it, on the grounds it will keep the cavalry occupied long enough for them to regroup.
But good point – how would it have been used operationally? I expect all will be revealed in the Journal entry tomorrow?
It’s crossed my mind that the chimera may be of even more parts than are immediately obvious–As in, could it have a human mind/brain?
That would take of training and control, to some degree. After all, a lion’s first instinct would be to go for the horses, not so much the people riding them….
The composition, flow, and motion in this page are absolutely amazing. Kudos to the artist.
I’ll pass your comments along to Naty, the artist. Thank you!
Looks more like a Manticore to me, but I won’t get technical–
“Chimera” can be a general description of something made up up of bits of other things, after all.
See today’s journal entry. I discuss my interpretation of chimera for the purposes of this story. I’ll discuss them more at length in Friday’s almanac entry.
Yeah, Sorry–Saw the Journal Entry only AFTER I’d posted my comment…..*embarrassed*..
It’s all good. I’m pleased as punch that you were so excited about the page that you skipped right over the journal. :-)
Bad kitty! … uh … kitty-thing.
Kitty-thing isn’t bad!
Kitty-thing is mad!
In fact, I would go so far as to say Kitty-thing looks down-right PISSED!
Nice twist with these last two entries. Everything was going good for the Cavs, then BAM! Chimera. Of all the things that could’ve happened, I didn’t expect that. Where the heck did they get this thing?
Based on the journal entry, it seems they made it (or, more accurately, some crazy Morantine alchemist made it. Probably a good thing for Blaise that Bertrande didn’t have one of these.)
Oh no, I second that slight adorableness! XD Its big glowy eyes, the way it hops… I’d be a goner too, lmao
I can’t cuddle anything with bug parts…..
Not scary at all. Kind of adorable, from the comfort of my computer chair. In person, I’d surely be a goner. ^_^
This is some strange new meaning of the word ‘adorable’ of which I was previously unaware. :-)
The Morantines named it “Grroak.”