This page last updated January 30th, 2008
Contents
About the Site
Velharthis is an ongoing webcomic. It is mainly in the fantasy genre, but has humour in it. Pages are usually added Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but these updates are not always guaranteed.
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F.A.Q (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: How in the hell do you pronounce "Velharthis"?
A: I pronounce the word phonetically, like so: "VEL-HAR-THIS". The "T" is combined with the "H" to make a soft sound, as you would with words that begin with "TH".
Q: How old is (insert character name here)?
A: Character ages can be found in the "Story" section of the site.
Q: What does "Velharthis" mean?
A: The word "Velharthis" is the name of a mythical sword known to the people of Tyr. It may or may not also have other meanings...
Q: Why don't you do your comic in colour?
A: I'd love to, but doing my comic is black and white is more economic. Since I don't charge people to read this comic, it doesn't bring in money for me, and as much as I'd love to work for free, I have certain life obligations that require me to work for a monetary income. Therefore, I have other responsibilities in my life that do not leave me with as much time to draw as one might like.
So yeah, no time!
Q: Boy, Peter sure is emo...
A: He sure is!
Q: Some things in this comic really remind me of Legend of Zelda...
A: Legend of Zelda is my favourite video game and its stories have drawn constantly upon classical heroic narrative. Some aspects I have respectfully adapted to my own work, and some are merely circumstantial based upon the fact that so many stories of myths and legends operate in the same manner. I draw inspiration from a number of sources, like any good, honest storyteller, and hope never to willingly or unwillingly steal ideas that legitimately belong to others.
Q: What influenced Velharthis?
A: Velharthis is a collection of junk I've seen and read and heard over my short lifetime so far. I admit I am not as well-read and cultured as I would like to be, but I know of some things. As a child I enjoyed watching 80's fantasy cartoons, and I guess I still do. I have also become interested in recent years with old myths and stories from around the world and how, as humans, are drawn to certain kinds of stories, particularly the simplicity of the heroic tale.
Initially, though, Velharthis began life as a story I wrote for a dear friend from high school. It was originally titled, "The Enchanted Alcohol Dispensing Fountain" and was even more bizarre and poorly written than this comic. I filled it with strange, almost-slap-stick humour, but some of the staples were there: Peter as a poor idiot, Jenise as impatient and stubborn, etc.
I kept writing the story, partly for fun, partly out of that childish, teenage sense of self-importance. I quit when I began to take the story to seriously and decided it was time to stop, only to rework it several years later into this only because I had come to know Peter and Jenise in my head so well.
Q: How do you name your characters?
A: Okay, no one has asked me this yet. I just really wanted to share these origins.
Jenise was originally supposed to be a satirical character based on some close friends. It is actually an amalgamation of the names "Jenny" and "Denise". I later discovered it was a name that had already been in use by real people for many years.
Peter I chose because it sounds great when yelled or screamed by women. Many times I have heard Jenise in my head, screaming at Peter for some dumb thing or another. Also, it was one of the few names that, at the time, I had not known anyone personally to have.
The names of the other characters are of more recent invention and their name origins are quite dull in comparion, since Peter and Jenise so far are the only characters I have retained from my oldest stories.
Story
When Peter, a young man with a mysterious past, saves Jenise, a young girl who seems to have too much past, the two pair up for a trip across a continent heading towards turmoil.
Jenise, out to avenge her grandfather, agrees to let Peter accompany her to the Kingdom of Auphretes and help her join the army there. In the backdrop war and unrest brew among the seemingly peaceful nations of Tyr. What is it that Peter seeks? And are all his intentions good...?
Characters
Jenise
Jenise is about 11 years old at the beginning of her story. She is a very confused and angry little girl, but has retained a childlike innocence through her ignorance--and curiosity--about the world around her.After the death of her grandfather, Jenise finds herself alone and under the belief that her grandfather died under malicious circumstances. Jenise ventures out to become a warrior in order to avenge her beloved grandfather.
Rude and constantly concerned mostly with her own comfort, Jenise tends to forget the feelings of others. Peter takes the brunt of her complaints, though deep down she knows he tries to keep her happy.
Peter
Both Peter's origins and personal objectives are a mystery to Jenise, making him a character of intrigue. It would appear, however, that there are many others in the world that know and understand Peter very well and would be crucial in learning more about him. Peter appears to be a decent young man and honourable, too. He also seems strong of mind and body, though he has some glaringly obvious weaknesses that make him dangerous.Peter is about 15 or 16 years old at the beginning of the story, though he likes to pretend he is much older. He also has a weakness for alcoholic drinks.
Hexten
A mysterious man with light hair and strange eyes. He appears to be hunting Peter with the aid of the Auphretian authorities. His motives are are not clear, but it is obvious that Peter has a great fear of Hexten.
Jenise's Grandfather
Jenise's Grandfather, Orrin, has only appeared in a flashback, although it is obvious that he was a great influence on Jenise in her life. Jenise believes that Orrin was murdered by the Red Guard, an organization of dubious character in Tyr.
Duke Ruck
Duke Ruck likes to think he is the character in Velharthis, though this is a laughable assumption on his part. Duke Ruck is mostly an opportunistic bastard, though he is dangerous nonetheless.
Duke Ruck, a noble from Illisium, Jenise's home kingdom, appears to be dealing in all sorts of questionably legal activities. He has as many strange connections across the continent of Tyr as Peter does.
Peter and Ruck appear to know each other quite well. Why is this, and why is a transient kid like Peter so valuable to an aristocrat like Ruck...?
Yvette
Yvette seemed instrumental in Peter and Jenise's escape from the strange dungeon in Centertown. A kind woman, she has known Peter since he was very small, though she hides his secrets as well as he does.
A noblewoman of Illisium, Yvette's once-lovely town home in Castletown looks to be nearly abandoned thanks to some undetailed strife in Tyr. Yvette knows more about this situation in Tyr than she will say, choosing not to alarm young Jenise.
Naturally indulgent of children, she will neither stop Peter in his dangerous quest to escort Jenise to Auphretes, nor will she properly scold her spoiled daughter, Gwen.
Gwen
Resentment towards the life she's been dealt appears all over young Gwen's face. Gwen once led the life of a rich noble, but lately things have turned for the worse, and though she still resides in the family mansion, Gwen must live a life devoid of much of the privledge that she grew up with.
Gwen states boldly to Jenise that she and Peter were once engaged to be married, though it appears these once-grandiose plans have been put on hold indefinately. Gwen still pines after young Peter, though the feeling is clearly not mutual. Was Peter ever keen on this supposedly arranged marriage?
Gwen is about fourteen years old, making her of an age with Peter.
Kit (Kitania)
First Admiral Kitania Alexandros hails from Saarladen, last of the elven kingdoms of Tyr, though her mother was, in fact, a human from Calinoa.
Her father was an elf chieftain from one of the provinces of Saarladen, making Kit somewhat of a princess. She left her native kingdom for reasons that are, at this time, unknown.
As a young soldier, Kit's natural flying abilities enabled her to rise quickly through the ranks of the Royal Calinoan Air Force. She is also close to the royal family in Calinoa, and serves them as a secret envoy from time to time.
Kit is an impatient woman, but has a good heart. She wants only peace for Tyr and for the elves. At 19 years of age, Kit is remarkably young to be an admiral, but a series of political assassinations that took the lives of many high-ranking Calinoans, including the king of Calinoa himself, resulted in many hasty promotions.
Lander
Trained as an accountant, Lander's natural sense for numbers and analysis got him recruited into the Calinoan Army at the tender age of 13. Kit, with her own good leadership judgement, took Lander under her wing when the two of them were only young teenagers. He has served with her ever since.
Lander comes from a long line of accountants that originally hailed from the Duchy of Reignbaum. He is the youngest of 8 children and a natural follower of great leaders. He is currently 17 years of age.
Tabitha, Queen of Calinoa
This tiny girl found herself a queen at the tender age of 8 after the apparent assassination of her father, King Alfred.
Simplistic and caring, Tabitha helps to run the country with her mother, the Queen Regent, Celeste of Styra.
Tabitha met Kit after her promotion to First Admiral and took an emmense interest in the tall elven girl. Tabitha found Kit very interesting because she was an elf, but was additionally pleased to find that she was also a fun and carrying lady who also brought her presents.
Celeste of Styra, Regent of Calinoa
Celeste came to Calinoa at the age of 14 to marry Crown Prince Alfred, a man twelve years her senior. They got along well, and a daughter was born to them two years after their marriage, Princess Tabitha. Celeste and Alfred anticipated more children, including a few brothers for Tabitha, but none came before Alfred's unexpected death at the age of 35.
Alfred's own father died five years after Tabitha's birth and Alfred, well-liked for his goodness and calm personality, was celebrated by the people, who believed that he would guarantee peace for all of Tyr after years of on-and-off fighting on the continent. But this was not to be...
Celeste, devestated by her loss, is supported by her brother, the Duke of Reignbaum. She wants only what is best for her daughter and for Calinoa. She appears to know Peter, but how...?
Abe
A mechanic who runs a shop in Allarion, capital of Auphretes. He is a gruff man and hard to understand at times, but underneath this hard exterior lies a man with a heart of gold who values honesty, hard work, and generosity.
Greis
A mysterious man who appears with Hexten and the King of Auphretes. He appears to be a selfish oaf, but what is his true nature...?
Places
Tyr
Tyr is the name of the entire continent in which the story takes place.
Illisium
Illisium is a small kingdom in the north of Tyr. It is primarily a kingdom of small, yeoman farmers, though crops have been suffering as of late and many, once-prosperous farmers are going bankrupt.
As a kingdom, Illisium is normally ruled by a king or queen, though the royal family of Illisium recently fell to an assassin and the heirs to the throne are nowhere to be found...
Auphretes
The largest country in Tyr and one of the most powerful. The capital of Auphretes is Allarion. It is ruled by King Gregor and his council.
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Groups
The Red Guard
Long ago, peace in Tyr was kept by an elite guard of warriors. The members of the guard came from all the countries of Tyr. It was said to have been established by an ancient king who brought an end to war using the mythical sword, Velharthis.
Eventually, the Red Guard learned to ride dragons and became famous for their skill in flying. At some point, it became illegal for anyone else other than the Red Guard to own dragons in Tyr.
Over time, the Red Guard became corrupted somehow, and was disbanded by the Auphretian Army. The dragons were killed and many former leaders and members were jailed.
The Auphretian Army
The largest army of any country in Tyr. It was this army that culled the increasingly rebellious and greedy members of the Red Guard and killed off the dragons.
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About the Current Layout
The current layout was made in June 2007. The main font used in the header is called "ale and wenches", which you should be able to find easily enough if you Google that term with the word "font".
The layout previous to this one can be seen here.
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About Proper Art Usage
I know my art isn't stellar, but if you want to use it for stuff, here are a few guidelines I ask people to follow:
What you CAN'T use my art for
* commercial websites
* commercial printing projects
* anything to do with porn
* anything to do with illegal activities ("illegal" as classified
under both U.S. and Canadian law)
* reposting and taking credit for making yourself
So, for example, if you're making, say, a Zelda fan site, you can use my art. That's not really a commercial use website because you're never going to make that site into a huge profit-making enterprise.
If you use my art, CREDIT ME PLZ
You can cite this site (velharthis.com) or my deviantart account (ladyjenise.deviantart.com)
as my website.
You DON'T have to ask me for permission to use my fan art
It's fan art, so I don't really care. I'd rather you not have to waste your
time asking me about it. Just don't use it in any of the ways listed above.
For example, don't make prints of them and sell them on the street or something
(I mean, good luck with that, since the versions I post online are too small
to make good prints anyway...)
You DO have to ask me permission to use my original art
I just don't want my original art being misrepresented. Plus, it belongs to
me, unlike fan art, which is, in all fairness, a copyright owned by another
person or entity.
For art that I've done as a commission or request for someone else, you have
to ask the person(s) who commissioned/requested me for permission
The majority of the commissions I have completed so far are of characters invented
by others. Therefore, I do not own them and do not have full right to grant
you use of artwork I've made involving them.
With the requests, gifts, and commissions I have drawn, I have made an effort to include the name and deviantart account of each individual. Please do not bother them unecessarily.
IF YOU DO USE MY ART... can I see what you've done with it? I'm really curious. :3
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Linking to this Site
Use the link buttons on my links page. The URL here is www (dot) velharthis (dot) com.
Please do not hot-link to any image on this site! Hot-linking involves coding an image to display directly on a site on another host without their permission. Sort of like if I coded the Google logo image directly from the Google site to appear here right now (which I won't do). Although Google has huge servers, I'm still stealing something called bandwidth, which is bad. So don't do it.
Affliation and Linking Policies
I don't know if art sites need/have affiliates. If you want to link here, you know the URL. If you want me to link to you, email me! A space in my Quick Links section is probably equivalent to affiliation, since your link would be on every page.
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Credits
Comic
Screentones for the comic come from:
Screentone Depot, Digital Tones, and Digitone.
Additional screentones have been purchased from Tami Ani-Garden of Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada.
Fonts for the comic come from Blambot Comic Fonts and Lettering.
I use Borden and Riley 108 lb stock paper, a Rotring size EF art pen, a pentel brush pen, Hunt and Speedball-brand pen nibs, Speedball-brand ink ("superblack"), and Adobe Photoshop to create my comic.
Site Design
The current design was launched in January 2008. Thanks to Dave for all his help!
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About the Author
My name is Louisa and I'm old enough to know better. My birthday is February 10th, I don't smoke, I have two cats, I have a loving family and good friends, I try to obey the law, I am friendly but mercurial in temperament, I have an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Art History and History from the University of Toronto, I am Canadian, I like sushi, I've been doing art since I was little, have had formal art instruction of some type since the age of ten, I work on a Mac, and I enjoy reading historical non-fiction.
