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Elf Life
From Comixpedia
| Elf Life | |
| Creator(s) | Eric Gustafson |
| Website(s) | http://www.elflife.com/ |
| Update Schedule | Finished |
| Launch Date | 1999 June 14 [1] |
| End date | December 21, 2004 [2] |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Rating(s) | PG |
Elf Life is a webcomic by Eric Gustafson (under the pseudonym Carson Fire) which first appeared on June 14, 1999 and ended on December 21, 2004. In February 2004, Gustafson announced that due to difficulties with finance and accommodation the webcomic would be placed on a one-month hiatus. A later announcement stated that the comic is "no longer produced for the web, but will be reorganized and continued in print"; however, the webcomic did in fact resume on June 6 2004. At that point, the Elf Life website, which is still part of Keenspot's lineup, started being updated with three spin-off series.[3]
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow
Contents |
[edit] Setting
Elf Life is set after the Great Convergence in Hollow Wood in Alfheim.
[edit] Universe
- Main article: Elf Life Universe
There are at least two worlds in the universe of the Elf Life webcomics. One world is Alfheim which is populated with a variety of intelligent races, while the other is world of men.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Airek
Airek is a half-ogre, half-elf and Baughb's friend as well as Filis's cousin.[4]
[edit] Baughbberick Lindel
Baughbberick Lindel, commonly referred to as Baughb (pronounced Bob), is a well-meaning but infuriatingly eccentric elf. He was born in a whorehouse in Green Wood[5] within the Kingdom of Glynhial.[6] When he was growing up he had an uncle his own age, named Greigh who he treated as a brother. However Greigh died in Baughb's arms to a goblin arrow after Baughb had a vision earlier that day.[7] He also had a child, which he began to raise as his own after her mother abandoned her at a nearby sanctuary. The baby looked a lot like Filis when she was younger. At first, Filis believed that the baby was her, but it was later revealed by Great Grandfather that the baby was in fact, Filis' great-grandmother.[8]
While he lived in Glynhial, he was a servent to the faerie Glynhial. However after a time as her servant, he was ordered to trap her into a bottle. During this time he had the rank of sergeant at arms.[9] When the cities began to collapse, they gathered in a particular area[10] and Baughb became an important figure among them.
After Baughb saved the world from the Great Convergence he, purposely jumped into the Faerie Gate to wander across time. However he eventually became lost and spent a long time attempting to head home. He eventually succeeded, however he returned to his home nearly a millenium after he left it. He arrived the night of a spring festival which commemorated Baughb's actions, as the people of the area considered him a hero.
Baughb also had dealings with a future self of his, who is considered evil. He was introduced in the storyline Evil Destiny when he attempted to kill Baughb. During the Evil Destiny storyline he claims to be 250 years old,[11] however because Baughb is three hundred at the time, it appears that the Evil Baughb is Baughb's past self, while he was lost in time in the future.[12]
[edit] Filis Marloughe
Filis, pronounced Phyllis, is an elf that dislikes Baughb quite a bit. When she was growing up with Airek, she would often protect him against bullies, often getting into physical fights.[13] Despite her supposed hatred for Baughb, she has worn his broach after he abandoned it. Her ambition is to become a warrior, she was given this idea by Aroogah when he kidnapped her. Over the course of the story various people kidnap and threaten Baughb, including an evil corporate executive version of himself from the future, and Filis finds herself reluctantly trying to save him. Eventually they become lovers, but - in the grand tradition of comedy - that does nothing to stop them from fighting.
[edit] Sprite
A sprite that is simply known as Sprite most of the time, appeared in the first comic of Elf Life and stars in his own spin-off comic, Sprite Life. He is occassionally called a name which translates to "Sprite that hangs out with elves," however this isn't considered a real name by his fellow sprites.[14]
[edit] Other Characters
- Akarnis was a vizier of the Glyndhial kingdom when it existed. He was notable as he was a goblin in a high position which was uncommon, and remained loyal to the Empress of Glynhial[15] long after his fellow goblins had retreated to the underground as rebels. However he eventually turned on the Empress just before the storms came by performing a ceremony where he removed his mask as a symbol of no longer being loyal to her.
- The last Empress of the kingdom Glynhial involved Baughb in a plot to try to betray the faerie Glynhial, in a desperate attempt to stop the storms that had been ravaging the world. However when that didn't stop the storms, she desperately banished the other faerie which also failed to stop the storms. In the last days, her behavior became erratic with her feelings about Baughb quickly alternating between distrust and love. In an attempt to keep her power, the Empress banished the royal court and feared that her half-brother had sired children, who would be a threat to her control of the kingdom. In the final days the citizens of the kingdom began to turn on the Empress, who reacted by hiring mercenaries to fight the crowds until they submitted.[16]
- Glynhial (Glee) is a fairy who had been the goddess of the kingdom named after her. She alternates between bursts of violent insanity and periods of sickening sentimentality.
- Leukothea is a buxom mermaid queen.
[edit] Storyline
The story involves the love-hate relationship between the elves Baughb and Filis. Some of the daily strips were occasionally replaced by prose chapters. These were well-written, but annoyed readers who expected to see comics.
The webpage also incorporates "Biff Notes: Help for the lost, confused, and somewhat misguided", (a pun on CliffsNotes), which help to explain what is going on in each day's strip and how it relates to the story as a whole.
As of November, 2005, the archives for Elf Life are broken, with some strips not currently on the website.
[edit] Classic
This storyline runs from June 14, 1999[17] to July 24, 1999[18], introducing the world along with the main characters. It begins with a fake french artist, Phoeble,[19] pretending to draw a portait of Baughb. When Sprite tells the others that he is truly drawing a picture featuring a hideous Baughb, it's revealed that the artist is in fact a Frothian from Lake Froth (also known as a Cesspoolian from Cesspool, the derogatory names for denizens of Lake Froth). The artist declares war on Hollowwood, but it's revealed that his true grievance is with Baughb.[20]
Great Grandfather takes Baughb to the Hero's Shrine, while this is happening Filis tells the Frothian about Baughb's history. It's revealed that he saved the world from the Great Convergance, but in doing so was sucked into a Faerie Gate and lost in time. He had spent half of his life attempting to return to his home, and he had finally succeeded nearly, but had been transported to his home, 1,000 years after he left it. Upon coming so close, Baughb finally gave up, and made his home in Hollow Wood, in the new time period.
After the story, the Frothian attempts to woo Filis into defecting to Lake Froth, which she attacks him for. The Frothian leaves, promising to return with an army.[21]
[edit] Crisis
This storyline runs from July 26, 1999[22] to December 1, 1999.[23] A few hours after war has been declared on the Hollow Wood elves, Baughb ruminates about warfare in the future, and gives an explanation of an arms race to Airek. They attempt to use the Pool of Falhalderal to see who will win the war between Hollow Wood and the Forthians, however when a duck interrupts the vision, it is dispelled. Filis is then kidnapped by a man ArRoogah, causing Baughb and Airek to learn that there is a haven for men nearby, in Straigh Inn, which Baughb is eager to go to, missing his more adventerous days involving humans. When ArRoogah delivers Filis to Phoeble and his father, they run in fear of her after she fights and wins against ArRoogah. Respectful of her, and his buyers gone, ArRoogah lets her go, after which she learns that Baughb and Airek are attempting to rescue her. During this escapade, Filis is given the idea of becoming a warrior.
At Straigh Inn, Baughb runs into trouble with a pair of goblins who wish to take him to their kingdom to put on trial. Meanwhile at the inn ArRoogah agrees to help Airek rescue Filis and Baughb, and together with Filis, they enter the goblin kingdom. While there they escape through a Faerie Gate, and after a few jumps in dimensions, return to their home, only a couple of months late. Airek reveals they made the trip with such ease because of an amulet he has. Filis runs off with the amulet, wanting Baughb to stay, but after he shows her the Hero's Shrine, where paintings he has comissioned of people Baughb considers heroes are hung, she changes her opinion of him and gives him the amulet. However he decides to stay with in Filis and Airek's time period.
[edit] Evil Destiny
This storyline ran from December 2, 1999[24] to July 22, 2000[25] and was dedicated to Houlgate Davenport.[26] It begins with Filis having to look after her daughter-in-law's babies, which she desperately doesn't want to. When Baughb offers to look after the babies instead, he's kicked out of Filis's home, and he stumbles upon what appears to be a troll baby, which is considerably larger then the elves. When Baughb is swallowed by the baby, he learns it was a trap from an evil baughb from the future, who wants to learn the secrets of the Faerie Gates. When the Evil Baughb fails to kill Baughb, the elves of Hollow Wood become convinced that Baughb is dead. In grief, Filis realises that she loved Baughb, so when she discovers he's alive they kiss. When Filis interrupts the funeral procession, Great Grandfather lies about the events that took place, claiming that Filis killed the baby troll, but in doing so saved Baughb. Because of her actions, Great Grandfather proclaims that Filis isn't allowed near babies, allowing her to be freed from looking after her sister-in-law's.
[edit] Return of Glynhial
This storyline ran from August 1, 2000[27]to January 1, 2001. It begins with Filis and Baughb secretly being together when Baughb reveals to Filis that Hollow Wood will have to raise an army and he would like her and Airek to be its generals. He swears Filis to secrecy because he believes the other elves of Hollow Wood aren't ready for the idea. When Baughb and Airek are together, Baughb learns that the High Elves of Glynhial were attempting to control the Faerie Gates and Airek is now working on completing their work. Baughb then accidently releases a faerie named Glynhial who Airek and Filis had trapped inside a book, when Glynhial reveals to Filis that she and Baughb were once lovers. Angry, Glynhial and Filis get into a fight, which after an initial loss, Glynhial wins. Sprite is able to save Filis by not believing in magic thus rendering it ineffective. It was an idea Filis gave him, but was unable to accept herself.
[edit] Frolicking By Fireside
This storyline ran from January 1, 2001 to March 12, 2001. It begins with Baughb spending the night with Filis when she attempts to begin to seduce him, and have sexual intercourse. However worried about the consequences, Baughb tries to stop Filis which results in a fight between the two and an interruption by Glynhial who is so tired she believes she's back at the castle. While this happens a gathering of elves led by Great-Grandfather wish to secure Glynhial, when Great-Grandfather believes that he see's them engaging in sexual intercourse. Great-Grandfather quickly closes the door and leads the rest of the villagers on a wild chase. The next day, Filis admits to Airek about what happened.
[edit] Elf Life in Print
Part of the Elf Life story has also appeared as a print comic.
A 300-page compilation is currently in development, spanning from the beginning to close to the end of Return of Glynhial; its expected release by Keenspot, announced for late 2004 or early 2005, is overdue.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] Credit
| This page was originally based on an entry from Wikipedia and is used under their GNU Free Documentation License. |
