| |
Chuck Rowles and Steve Rowles
|
| |
http://wwwnightgigcom/the_gods_of_arrkelaan/
|
| |
Monday - Friday
|
| |
2002
|
| |
Fantasy
|
|
is a Webcomic created by Chuck Rowles, based on a fictional world which they used in roleplaying games in 1986. Drawn and written by illustrator Chuck Rowles (a.k.a "Ronson") and often aided with visual effects and coloring help of his brother Steve Rowles (a.k.a "SpANG!"), ''Gods of'' features heavily on the Drunk Duck portal.
''Gods of Arr-Kelaan'' is a comic story created by Chuck Rowles, currently viewable as a webcomic, or in print off of his main page.
The world of Arr-Kelaan was created in the 1980s by Len Zaikoski to use in a role playing game. The gods were created later by Chuck Rowles as characters to be used for gaming. As Rowles developed the characters, he started drawing comics about them.
A full history in the authors own words can be found here
The webcomic was previously showing the third volume online every Tuesday and Friday. "Going Home". It followed Ronson, the God of Apathy (and alcohol), as his journeys as he tried not to pick up followers, despite the best efforts of the thorn in his side and God of Trade, Bikk. "Going Home" finished its run on July 05, 2005, with 23 issues and an epilogue.
Currently the webcomic is showcasing the volume "Consequences".
''Gods of Arr-Kelaan'' is the story of a group people from Earth, who were travelling on an interstellar spaceship cruise when their ship crashed into a planet named Arr-Kelaan. Upon waking on the strange new planet, they discovered they had gained the power of Gods. They were indestructible, they could hear the thoughts of mortals, they can create anything with a mere thought, and could even bring back the dead. The world of Arr-Kelaan itself was something out of a fantasy novel, with mages and dragon, not to mention a bunch of Gods that were already here before, and didn't all like the newcomers.
The majority of the story focuses on the character of Ronson, a man who eventually became God of Apathy (and Alcohol). Ronson travels the world of Arr-Kelaan in Volume 3, seeking to find the ship that brought him here and return to Earth. On his journey, he meets many characters, both mortal and gods. Ronson even encounters the ghost of his dead wife, whose appearance is a mystery, as she died of cancer back on Earth years before Ronson arrived on Arr-Kelaan.
The story timeline of ''Gods of Arr-Kelaan'' may be somewhat confusing to some readers, as the issues weren't created in the order they occur in the story, and even the labeling is different. In chronological order in terms of story, the comic should be read like this:
- "Volume 0" - details Ronson waking up on Arr-Kelaan, uncertain of how he got there and slowly discovering his new godly abilities. (Written in 2003/2004)It can be read here .
- "For the Death of Kings" - details one of Ronson's first adventures. Taking place after "Volume 0", this story contains the first appearance of Claremont and Salsmen. This story is not available online, but can be purchased as part of the published book one of "Going Home". (Written from 1991-1993)
- "A Tolerable Day" - Printed in the first Nightgig Sampler, this wordless short story gives an example of life for Ronson after "For the Death of Kings" ... This has also been reprinted in the printed book of "Myths & Legends" (Started in 2002, finished in 2006)
- "Going Home" takes places next. The story details Ronson's travels to find the ship he crashed on Arr-Kelaan with, as he encounters the various other "Traveller Gods" and how they have adapted to their new powers. (Written from 2003-2005) This volume can be read online here .
- "The Guy on the Rock" - This 4 page story takes place between the first and second parts of "Going Home". Ronson and his followers come upon a man in the Desert. It is printed in the second book of "Going Home"
- "Tankard of Trouble" - Printed in "Drunk Duck Volume 1: Drunk in Public" . Many years after two miraculous tankards of endless ale were given to a couple of soldiers, Ronson steps in to rectify a situation he had not been aware of. This is an offshoot of the events in "Going Home"
- "Lucky Break" - Printed in "Drunk Duck Volume 2: Drunk and Disorderly" . General Shrub was banished to a small island in the middle of no where. It would take a lot of luck to get him out of there. Features the Sharras. This is an offshoot of the events in "Going Home"
- "This Guy Walks Into A Bar" - To be printed in "Drunk Duck Volume 3: Drunk With Laughter". Brindle and Aanlonar from "Going Home", many years later. This is an offshoot of the events in "Going Home."
- "Myths & Legends" occurs a long after the events of any of the previous stories, but is one of the oldest stories written by Rowles (only "For the Death of Kings" predates it). This story was originally written in 1996, and rescripted (and somewhat revised) in 2006. In "Myths & Legends", we get a glimps of the future for the gods, as during this story the Gods of Arr-Kelaan have settled in and become a worshiped pantheon. Ronson is not the main character of this story, although he does make an appearance. It can be read here
The following is an incomplete cast of characters:
- Ronson - God of Apathy/Alcohol. He is the main character of Volumes 0, 1, and 3. A bald man, almost perpetually unhappy, Ronson's been practically emotionally dead since his wife, Emily, passed away. Though he is the God of Apathy, and he prefers not to be bothered by prayers, Ronson still rarely ignores people who need his help when they are suffering before him. He once ran a brewery back on Earth, and as such brought beer to Arr-Kelaan, making him the God of Alcohol as well.
- Bikk - God of Trade/Commerce. A man obsessed with wealth and status, although more of the latter now that he is a god, Bikk's first move on Arr-Kelaan was to establish a church, with him being the god worshipped. During Volume 3, Bikk first tried to enlist Ronson's aid in this task, and later he helped Ronson locate the spaceship they arrived on Arr-Kelaan on. Bikk's goal was to use the ship to return to Earth and take it over with his new godly powers. His most notable physical feature is his long nose.
- Emily - Ronson's wife. She died of cancer on Earth years before Ronson crashed on Arr-Kelaan. For reasons unknown, her ghost constantly appears before Ronson, but only to disappear shortly after.
- Brindle - One of Ronson's first "followers". Ronson first encountered Brindle in the desert, where he was attempting to run away from the General Shrub's army. Brindle accompanied Ronson through most of Volume 3, and left at the end when Ronson set up a tavern for him to run.
- Aanlonar - Ronson's second "follower", he was a friend of Brindle's in General Shrub's army, and eventually followed Ronson as well on his journey. Aanlonar is an elf of unusually large size, though he claims this is a "glandular disorder". Other people suspect that he isn't pure elf, but likely has some mixed blood from an orge. Aanlonar left Ronson near the end of Volume 3 to join Mike.
- General Shrub - An overall unpleasant man, he created a large army on the orders of Beyurn.
- Beyurn - Goddess of War. Beyurn wanted to lead the world of Arr-Kelaan into an era of peace and stability. She decided to go about this by creating the largest army in the region. She later abandoned her plan after Ronson sent her army into various bars around the world, and demonstrated to her that the dead can be brought back to life. She was the First Mate on the travler, and seems to have some kind of military background.
- Claremont - God of Knowledge. Claremont is a friend of Ronson's, and is also Emily's brother. Claremont didn't play a major role during Volume 3. Near the end of Volume 2 it is revaled that Claremont is married to a mortal named Wenya and has a daughter named Hazel.
- Mike - God of Honor/Valor. Mike's first response after gaining his godly powers was to become a "superhero". Donning a cape, Mike made himself the defender of the city of Kinidrius. Like Beyurn, Mike was shocked to learn the full extent of his godly abilities, and to learn that he could even bring back the dead. Mike eventually left Kinidrius, recruited a few men to help defend justice, bestowed superpowers on them, and formed a sort of school for heroes.
- Grox - A brog (a sentient species on Arr-Kelaan). Formley violent and angry, but eventually changed after meeting Mike. Grox runs Mike's school of ethics and justice.
- Salsmen - God of Evil. He made only a brief appearance in Volumes 2 and 3, but played a major part during Volume 1.
- Sephin - The Oracle of Leshan-Faar. A strange man, often seen wearing a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses. He claims to know absolutely everything. He also says that the planet Arr-Kelaan TALKS to him. Sephin was the one that found the spaceship "The Traveller", and fixed it up.
- Shadowscared - God of Fear. Originally John Shadowscar, the captain of the ship that brought Ronson and company to Arr-Kelaan, he was dubbed "Shadowscared" because he was afraid of almost everything, from ordinary fears like the darkness to fear of Abraham Lincoln.
- Alden - Goddess of Medicine.
- Thanantria - Goddess of Death. Sister of Salsmen.
- Hazel - Daughter of Claremont/Adventurer. The main character in the main story of Volume 2. Despite the fact that she has no powers to speak of, she was an adventurer. Trained by Beyurn in the art of combat, she quested to right wrongs in the world by using those skills and the wisdom and knowledge her father taught her. By the beginning of Volume 2 she has grown too old to continue and lives as a hermit.
- Teldin - Hero. A second main character from the main story of Volume 2. Teldin is a hero that was once tricked into working for Bikk until Hazel, on one of her quests, showed him the error of his ways. Thankfully Bikk did not kill him when he quit, but instead told him that the one he loved would die an early death.
|
