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shadowlink06 · 7 months ago

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Script: Home Deep Dive - Who is the Antagonist of the Story?

Hello darlings, I’m back with a mini critique of Home. For now there is a pressing issue that I want to ask readers of the comic. Who is the villain in this story? I’m not trying to be funny or anything, but I genuinely want to know. There are rumors that there are only 4 more chapters left within home. Trying to use the excuse “Just be patient” has long run its course and has been the same thing Kique has been saying for the past 5 years. We are at page 743 at the time I’m writing this script and the villain, and more importantly the plot of the story should have been addressed at the midway point if not one quarter in of the story. Unfortunately because Kique is ghost writing, he lost the plot to his own story.

For some context, and for those that are unaware I have been writing for a long time. My background is heavily into the role playing genre of OCs for over 15 years and recently I've gotten back into fanfiction writing. I'm shamelessly pro-villain. What I mean by this, is when I pick up a story, whether that be a video game, a book, a role play or anything in between, I'm going to look at how the villain is presented in the story. Not going to say that I will fall in love with them, but I do gauge villains a lot harsher than I do the hero in the story. You might have heard of the adage of the “hero is only as good as the villain” and there is truth to that statement. The more that a villain pushes the hero, seeing how the hero responds from the emotional and physical standpoint. It moves the story, it gets readers emotionally invested. I write about the same subject matter as Kique, maybe you can argue worse because I have little hesitation on truly fucking up a character. The only difference between us is the genre. I don't write about feral or even furry stories, I'm just not interested in them and you know, gotta write what you are comfortable with.

Still, there is a lot you can glean which is why I wanted to tackle this subject. I have a hard time believing that there is a true villain within Home. Sure there are pseudo-villains and just awful characters presented in the story, but not one of these characters stick out to me and makes me root for what they are trying to accomplish when we look at the story as a whole. I will present the villains or ‘could be’ villains and give examples of what is wrong within the story in regards to them. I’ll be saving Ranach for last because there is so much wrong if he turns out to be the true villain of this story.

The Night Beasts:

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/29/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/68/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/139/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/191/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/279/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/300/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/409/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/530/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/532/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/542/

One of the more prevalent problems is how the night beasts come and go by the whim of the author. In early Home, they were crawling all over the place the moment night settled over Aedra. They were painted out to be a huge issue to the dogs on Aedra and took the lives of many innocents since no one could figure out how to deal with them short of keeping them away with fire. In later Home, Kique just drops these guys from his story. Notice that when night scenes happen, ghouls are nowhere to be found.

We learn later that the nightbeasts are being facilitated by the actions of the past MT Jarls, but Aira seems to be the only cognizant individual in this entire fucking story that knows how to break the curse of the nightbeasts. Notice that no one gives her credit for this discovery or is this plot point ever brought up again.

The only time when the Nightbeasts come up is when it is convenient to the plot. The last major instance of them being mentioned was at the Tinget, and none of the dogs there wanted to try to fix the nightbeast problem which shows how self centered these assholes really are. I have zero pity for the plight of these dogs after the way they acted like burning a body was the ultimate sin, yet those fuckers have to USE fire to keep the night beasts away.

There is also an inconsistency whether they have a real body or not. Fjordor’s implied that when Vaja lost her life to the beasts, she peeled her own skin off and became the black ghouls that we have seen in the beginning in the comic. However, after Zilas was killed and was ‘haunting’ Keirr, we see that he seemed to turn into smoke when Aira fended him off. Yet for some reason, Zilas’s ‘real’ body was able to be burned and his soul was released into the beyond or something stupid like that. This is actually an oversight that leads one to a lot of confusion but I guess Kique doesn’t believe his readers are aware of this notable error.

Either way, the ghouls in the comic are an afterthought these days and they have no purpose within the comic. Think about how the wall for MT was damaged. Notice that there is no danger or mention of the night beasts getting into the territory despite this safety issue. Despite being in open territory, Southspear and even Asmundr don’t interact with the night beasts. No one is concerned because god forbid we take away screentime from Roamer, Rogio, and Ranach.

Meteor Tribe (Pre-Ronja):

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/40/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/52/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/58/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/72/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/76/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/92/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/104/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/107/

I’ll be mostly speaking about the MT under Arenak since that seems to be a long established tribe with their particular… traditions. Ranach briefly had a stint with being the Jarl, but I’ll bring this up in his topic later. For now let us dissect why Kique seems to be ghostwriting when we examine the MT.

The first time we see an MT dog is when Ferah kills one that recently downed a rabbit for food. She wastes no time disposing of him to the horror of Zilas and Ronja. The next instance is Kargo meets a scout that was following the Asmundr pack. Kargo and the scout get into a flight, and it's shown that there is bad blood between Kargo/Ferah and the MT.

The beginning of chapter 3, we are introduced to the character Ranach and we see him and a member sweet talking Galti and Alva to join them so they can help them and their pack. It turns out they have woken up on this planet and have been here aimlessly for a month. Given that Ranach also sweet talks Ronja, it is apparent that this character has a habit of luring unknowing dogs into his tribe.

Later when Roamer wanders off with Kargo, they meet yet another MT dog Savas. This is Ranach's brother and after making rather lewd remarks to taking Ferah for himself, Kargo in a fit of rage kills him. We then get a small blurb of the way that those in the MT tend to get brainwashed and conditioned to serve the tribe when it is revealed that Kargo killed his own brother Ralek for trying to take Ferah back to the tribe. It is further elaborated that MT is a brutal society that work their members hard. Females in particular are used as no more than breeding stock that are the property of the Jarl. The males undergo rigorous training and Kargo was taken away. After two years, Kargo resisted the brainwashing tactics and decided to lead a rebellion against the MT and their ways. The end result is that Kargo, Ferah and a few members escaped, but the ones that were trapped ended up being killed.

Ranach takes Ronja into the MT territory. Unknown to anyone though, Ranach ordered Rogio to poison the Jarl Arenak's meal. As the last living member of his bloodline, Ranach is named the new Jarl. And well… that's pretty much the end of MT as was presented in the story. I'll hit on what happens with Ranach is in charge in his topic, but for the most part that's the end of the MT before it changes in the hands to Ronja.

To sum up, MT was a well rounded antagonistic tribe of the story. Filled with all of the negative traits and tropes that one would expect out of a villain in a story. For now, let's move on.

Rohgir:

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/39/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/55/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/108/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/171/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/212/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/227/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/234/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/251/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/372/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/385/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/400/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/671/

This was such a confusing plot point. In the beginning, Jalha hinted that she had a feeling that Rohgir was hiding something from her. After Jalha and Rhovanian had their little fight, she stumbled on a portal that leads her into the sanctuary of Akiulfrs. There she finds out that Father created different bloodlines and this is the second generation of Akis. According to Rohgir, they are staying on the island to grow in population before they can venture to other parts of Aedra. I’m rather confused about where this “mission” that Rohgir states comes from. As far as the readers know, Father is interested in keeping the Asmundr pack safe and has never mentioned the Akis. Also I find it odd that Rohgir is interested in low key eugenics when Akis were made as a result of dogs mating with a Liulfr. It really doesn’t make much sense. Regardless, the next scene we see with the Akis is the group hunt where Jahla meets Thakir. It turns out while Jahla was with the Aki’s the Asmundr pack was relocated and Rohgir was aware of it happening. He justifies his actions by telling Jahla that he only did it to convince her to stay with the Aki tribe.

When Jahla speaks to Thakir again, he brings to light the problems that come with Aki island. Mostly that there are many Akis that feel “trapped”, unable to view other places around Aedra. They also didn't grow up with parents leaving them with an identity crisis that can't be filled. Each of the Akis needs room to explore who they are and their purpose and it is stifling to be kept on the island long term. Thakir further states that the mental health of the tribe has diminished and eventually his words will not reach them as they lanish in despair. Jahla confides to Thakir that Rohgir has been lying to her and she can't understand why he is insistent on being here not knowing the culture or the Akis in it.

Things come to a head when Jahla is taken to the ceremony called the Path of the Chosen. It is there that she learns Rohgir has rewritten the history of what happened in the events of Asmundr. This enrages Jahla and she demands to know why he did that which he replies it was to give them a sense of purpose. Jahla notes that it only boosts their ego and Roghir slaps her, setting off a brief skirmish.

When Thakir tries to get Roghir to see reason, he points out that the dogs are well aware of their existence and do not approve of them. He notes that they plunder, raid, discriminate, and abuse each other and don't believe in the gods - which is the damn truth I might add. Roghir goes on explaining he wants to retain a pure species again and Jalha and Thakir gets banished from the tribe.

It isn’t until chapter 12 that we see Aegier be rescued from the dogs and he comments that Roghir has changed. Notice that how he is changed is not expanded on, nor do we get any further information about this matter. And so far, that’s the only mention of Roghir that we’ve gotten in the entire story. I never thought that he was an enemy to anyone. He just wants to chill with his pack and be left alone so it’s rather odd that Kique keeps trying to give him this edgy personality. Sure he might be going about looking after the pack wrong, but if anything, that makes him nothing more than a cult leader, not a villain in this story.

Avanti:

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/421/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/435/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/558/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/565/

I have to include her since she has killed dogs within the comic. She was a summoned beast that was under the control of Ranach. She has the distinction of having hands like a human and ironically enough the comic would have been coherent if -all- of the characters looked like her. Regardless, she killed Jonna, Fuss, and Ulfir under the orders of Ranach. When Ranach assaulted MT after Ronja took over, she fought Rogio who broke the curse upon her by smashing the necklace that bound her to Ranach. After apologizing to Rogio in an odd language, she disappeared.

My issue with Avanti isn’t that she knows another language, but how come none of the dogs (that are supposedly intelligent) not know the language of the aliens? One of the things that bothered me about Avanti was when she was speaking to Rogio she was using the alien language. Did Rogio understand her? It's not really clear.

While we are on that subject, what are the chances about Avanti or Walrus Jesus not passing on the Alien language to the locals? Even if they didn’t, wouldn’t they be smart enough to write it down or have dogs to translate the works? They have scrolls therefore the act of writing and reading is established in this world. The fact no one knows the alien language is a cop out and a poor world building choice. How does Avanti know the common (English) tongue? When did she learn it? From Ranach? No information or explanation.

The Lone Wolf:

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/431/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/671/

Look, Kique can have 100 dogs say how terrified or hurt they have been with the lone wolf attacks, but it means nothing as Kique refuses to show any foreshadowing or even show that this character actually exists within this comic. We’ve only had 3 mentions of it throughout the 750 pages so far. Notice that we never see the dogs that were supposedly injured by this character, it’s all done off screen. I am convinced that this mcguffin exists just to give credence to the racism that Kique does in this comic which is kinda disgusting when you think about it. Wolves and dogs descended from each other, that’s just a fact, so why dogs show such fear towards wolves is odd. I’ve said this before, but a Southern Jaro can be mistaken for a wolf rather easily. I’m sorry but the dog tribes in this comic aren’t exactly painted as just and understanding, so of course I’m going to assume it’s one of them that did the attacks. Kique honestly should have done this, but because he is not using foresight in this comic, it’s a missed opportunity.

Southspear:

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/524/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/546/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/592/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/618/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/626/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/749/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/776/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/790/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/802/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/845/

I had to wind back the pages to when Southspear was first introduced in the comic. It was actually when Jalha met an injured son and his family in their territory. Notice that the tone that was set for Southspear was one of danger. If you didn’t tow the line, you would be attacked and forced out of the tribe or killed. The mother states that Southspear’s way of life is killing them.

Fast forward to after Ranach killed Kargo. He willingly goes to seek out the Matriarch of Southspear. Instead of being greeted by sword and shield, we get two guards that seem to be friendly and even escort Ranach to their leader. So already we have a potential contradiction here as the dogs can at least be reasonable and won’t attack out of the blue. Notice that they also let the courier from Solarstag into the tribe for the Tinget and he went unmolested. Hell, even when they have sex with each other, everyone consents to it. So from a moral standpoint, Southspear is actually better than Pre-Ronja MT. Also notice when Lycenia meets Ranach, she greets him in the same way a Meteor Tribe member would do to a female so they know full well what MT is like. Sadly like all women in this comic, Lycenia softens her tone towards Ranach even calling him a runt and agrees with Ranach’s idea to remove the Solarstag by launching an insurrection against them.

Another issue is the way that it was purposely shown not to kill their ‘prey’ they were stealing from. This only made me more confused since the mom at Havenreach painted it out like Southspear were savages. Which is it Kique? Are they savages? Or should they be pitied? Pick a fucking lane dude and STAY there. Now with the introduction of them becoming rebels to the capital, their original purpose has lost meaning and this is another tribe that can’t be considered an exclusive villain when it had all of the workings as one.

The Forngryms:

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/713/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/720/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/738/

I don’t know why Forngryms were added into this story as they make the capital by extension look like dumbasses in the grand scheme of things. For some reason, the capital viewed Forngryms as savages and Taiga lions not. While I get that the Forngryms are much more intimidating out of the two (technically 3 large cats) featured in the story it brings forth a lot of questions. For instance:

On what basis did the matriarch choose to mark Forngryms as dangerous/savage?

You are talking about a full blown genocide of a species. This would require the cooperation of all of the dogs on Aedra. This seems to go against the world building aspects because these dogs are presented as being selfish little assholes when it comes to implementing group/world policy. See the Tinget mess for more information.

Why did the Taiga lions think that this couldn't happen to them? Why didn't they fight FOR the Forngryms? They are cousins at best and more aligned than the dogs. One thing that is constantly frustrating is that these characters have no concept of self preservation. There should have ALWAYS been suspicious of the Matriarch after this stunt and never trusted her. This is a normal reaction and a logical one that a character with a brain would have. In the later pages when Ranach and Solar Stag visit them, there is a noticeable tonal shift the way that the lions view the capital. This was hamfisted out of the blue and it only begs the question, why didn't they feel this way before? Again, this is a storyboard issue.

So… ignoring the continuity problems. We are introduced to the Forngryms when Rogio goes to see the Sapphire Elk. He frees Kargo from the world in between and the two are trying to warm up in a cave before they are ambushed. The two are taken prisoner and they meet the Chieftain. He blames the dogs for wiping their species, bears, and the sabred wolves to near extinction. It is clear that there is a lot of rage within him and he is very antagonistic towards Rogio and Kargo. They end up speaking to the mother Feomeh, that explains that the reason why most of the Forngryms are half blind is because they give their sight to their god Kannaug in exchange for health and prosperity. Her son Diarko hasn't performed the rites yet and that is why he appears healthy.

You know, it's weird. The gods and spirits on Aedra work on monkey's paw logic. Basically what I mean, for every blessing that is bestowed upon a victim, they have a negative connotation associated with them in the process. I don't have a problem with this because it does add depth to the universe, but one thing that seems to get overlooked is it is presented as just… not a big deal? Eigfeigr for instance an unborn sole when he went to Ranach, Sterkr when it affected Aira took away her humanity. I have to give it to Kargo that he pointed out the hypocrisy, noting that the Chieftain looks pretty damn healthy while the other members of the pride are abused. Rogio convinces the mom and cub that they could have a better life and they flee. The mother gets a spear thrown in her shoulder and seems to drown, and Rogio, Kargo and Diarko manage to make it back to MT/Nordgarde. It comes out when the Guild visits Whispervale, that Feomeh managed to live and was found by the tribe. Axilyah knowing the danger a Forngrym poses decided to report it to the capital much to the protest of Feaf who wants to take Feomeh back to the Shiverfall tribe.

I'll come back to this later when the public pages get caught up with what I already am aware of, but one of the reasons I believe that Feomeh was not killed off was for a hamfisted plot point. Make no mistake, I do not believe that Kique actually cares about Feomeh in the slightest because of his track record with disabled characters but let's move on for now.

The Capital/Matriarch:

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/204/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/236/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/441/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/460/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/470/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/477/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/482/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/487/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/514/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/581/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/633/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/640/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/671/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/698/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/778/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/786/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/799/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/827/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/833/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/841/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/879/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/881/

The issue with the Capital that I’ve always had is that nothing ever makes sense in terms of the rules that they set in Aedra. I don’t even think it is proper to call them ‘rules’ as it seems that no dog has to follow them. As it is stated on the wiki, these are guidelines and there appears to be no punishment when someone doesn’t adhere to the rules minus attacking a member with a seal, but that presents a whole other host of problems I’ll try to touch on.

When we are introduced to the capital, it is by ways of the Guild and the leader Axilyah. She exposits the purpose of the guild and how they serve under the capital. Through her explaining to Ronja, we learn that the Matriarch is a mysterious figure that guides the tribes on Aedra. The way that she is described, they are supposed to be fair, just, and understanding. They offer humanitarian aid to tribes that need it. No one has to follow her, but many see her as a grand leader. So… that is what the reader is presented with at first. Seems like a good start for a powerful being in this universe.

Next time we have a hint about the power of the Matriarch is when we see the Bounty Hunters. They were called to fetch Jalha and Thakher when they killed the Flameguard members in self defense. Here is also where we see the cracks of the capital in the way that they handle this predicament. First, we get to meet the Matriarch Ninmah, and she happens to be the last Liulfr because reasons. So it turns out in the past there was a lone wolf that attacked several dogs. This dog didn’t kill anyone, but gave scars that will live with them with the rest of their lives. As a result, many of the dogs feel that wolves are dangerous. Alright, fine, Rohgir and his wolves that don’t go anywhere are dangerous. My question has always been if these dogs are forbidden to go off the island HOW do the dogs know of the Akis? It’s been established that Rohgir doesn’t want them leaving which means the only other possible conclusion is the dogs went looking for trouble. And given the track record the wolves were within their rights to defend themselves and their territory. Someone is lying here and I don’t understand why this got glossed over.

So it turns out the big brained move Ninmah decides to do to turn this around is having Jahla create a new tribe and have the locals get to know the wolves and divert the crisis. On paper it’s fine, but as you move through the story, despite Jahla being groomed to take over the Asmundr pack, it becomes fairly obvious that she is inept for this task. The basis is to TALK to the locals. Heavenreach is situated nicely between several different tribe territories. Do you think Kique bothered to have Jahla have an interaction with them? Of course not, because that would be too hard. What he did do though is have Jahla howl for a good month (maybe more if I’m not mistaken) to acquire Rome, her new love interest that she dumps Rhov for. Now you would think that Ninmah would actually follow up, give encouragement, or try to facilitate talks with Jahla and the natives because again, according to her, Akis are about to start a war. Kique couldn’t be fucked to do this though so it shows just how little she gives a damn.

Further proof of this is the incident with the nightbeasts. After Keirr puts Zilas to ‘rest’, off screen apparently the incident was brought to the attention of Ninmah and she initiates a Tinget meeting. Don’t get me wrong, alerting the natives of a potential ‘cure’ of the nightbeasts would be a good thing but it’s HOW it is presented that leaves a lot to be desired. Lahmina recounts how the Matriarch has been ‘testing’ the theory of ghouls being killed permanently by doing experiments herself. Which when you think about it implies that she either killed dogs or were familiar who these ghouls which is impossible. Fjordor stated that when a ghoul rises, they peel off their own skin and becoming black outlines of who they once were. So by that logic, how did Ninmah know who these poor dogs/cats were? It’s a logical inconsistency. The only thing that would make sense is for Ninmah to have killed dogs recently which…opens a whole can of yikes and tarnishes how a reader should view this character as a caring and just individual.

Then there is the incident with the Lowglade Tribe. While I know that this particular plot point is mostly Kique throwing a tantrum, it tarnishes how a reader views the capital and Matriarch as a whole. The whole reason for showing this tribe has to deal with their bioluminescent paint that will stave off ghoul attacks. Fairly useful and easy to make and is less dangerous to use than fire. Seems like it would be a good commodity to use in Aedra. Well, when Kique had a falling out with Staz, instead of continuing to use this in the story he just removed this plot point together. This was seen with Rhov and Feaf went back to the territory and several capital members had blocked off the way to Lowglade and forbidden anyone to enter. We will likely never see this tribe again, but the damning implication is that the capital did something to these dogs which is again another… yikes.

Then we have the issue with the Forngryms. Because there has been no foreshadowing about their existence, the explanation as to why they are limited in number was not thought out very well. Kique seems to forget that the dogs on Aedra appeared a mere 30 years ago. I get that Kique won’t grow the fuck up to know this, but this is barely two or three generations that you are looking at in terms of the time that passed by. If you want to go by dog years, then that is perhaps four or five generations which I’m being generous here, but it still isn’t a lot in the grand scheme of things. And considering that dogs are immortal, replenishing a tribe's number seems to be a low priority when you look at the births that we’ve seen within the story as well as the lack of puppies within the various tribes.

Regardless, we have Axi who upon discovering that a blind and clearly scared Forngrym exists decides that she wants to hand her over to the capital because past laws stated that they are considered too dangerous. And I want you to think about that. Feomah is blind, she is half starving with a cub in toe. Only a dumbass would think that she’s a danger to anyone. Sure it is possible she could reproduce and build up a population that MAY cause issues, but I doubt this is what is going through their mind. They see someone different than them, they have to destroy it. Eugenics at its finest. It is not surprising that Feaf and her mother take issue with this and appeal to their Viscountess Eopei. This creates friction between Solar Stag and Shiverfall and well… lets just put a pin in this issue because if you didn’t hate the characters in the Solar Stag now, oh boy…

Marduk:

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/246/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/261/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/453/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/838/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/854/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/877/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/892/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/893/

From chapter 13, Marduk is shaping up to be a villain but not one that was made naturally by the events within the comic. For those unaware, this character was created by Kique’s former co writer. See Val’s video if you would like to know what went on. I’ll link it in my description. Because Kique didn’t create this character, I do feel Marduk is being dragged in the mud so to speak out of spite. In the earlier chapter of Home, he had one of the more memorable scenes when Raimo attacked him after Zilas died. Marduk expressed remorse and had a range of emotion within him showing that he wasn’t one dimensional and acknowledged the limitations of being a god. He does express a certain jealousy towards Father, but at no point is it indicated in the few times we’ve seen the Asmundr pack that he wants Kainan and the others to look at HIM as their god.

When the Rabisu attack Asmundr, it turns out they are really after Marduk. He activates the obelisk which causes pain in all of the Rabisu members. We see blood leaking from their noses and eyes and it looks like this type of torture is painful. Kanien stops what Marduk is doing and tells him that the gods bowed before THEM rather than Marduk implying that they should all bow before him. This seems just… so out of place. If Marduk truly thought this, it would have made his intentions clear from the start. When we first saw him, he just wanted to be a part of the pack, maybe get to know them, he looked at Kanien and the others with a certain admiration and acknowledged his limitations as a god. This is again Kique self sabotaging his own story. It also doesn’t help that we get very little details as to what actually has been going on in Asmundr because the newest generation is the focus of Home. He might as well just killed Asmundr off like Zlias because they aren’t contributing anything and we have this hamfisted villain that is so goddamn cartoonish.

We briefly saw Marduk showing an interest in Feaf’s pregnancy, and he does seem to want to have an understanding with Jalah, and while I find it odd, it’s not evil. If anything, it shows an interest in species manipulation and as a god, okay it might be a hobby. Being a god of creation leaves a lot of wiggle room.

This is such an ill conceived plot point and from viewing the upcoming pages, Kique just ran with this with absolutely disastrous results. Just to avoid drama I'll not spoil pages that aren't being posted publicly but I'll likely do a blurb on Marduk when we get caught up to a particular section.

The Aliens/Father:

Although Father has only been seen at the beginning of home, there is a lot to be desired by the way he treats the Asmundr pack. One of the more pressing matters is that Father expects someone else to do his dirty work for him. This was seen in Asmunder by the way that he treated the Shield Wolves and the Red Eye Disease. As advanced as the aliens are, you would think that they would be able to think of a way to contain it, they are Gods after all.

This is the issue with including Sci-fi elements (and I suppose fantastical theology) in a story. As an author, the genre gives you the advantage of creating things out of thin air (literally). Because it is advanced and futuristic, you aren't held under scrutiny as hard as someone making a historically accurate piece of fiction. It is hard to conceptualize that “Father” could create a generation of Akis out of thin yet, not have the means to stop primitive humans for causing destruction on Earth.

While we are on that subject, Father put the hero of Earth on Aedra. He didn't tell them of the dangers of the nightbeasts, he didn't let them know that several dogs had already been moved to this location for several generations! Either he didn't know of the dangers which is just a ridiculous take, or he knew of it and put the Hero of Earth and his pack in danger. What a fucking asshole.

Kique:

It is rare to think that the author of their own story as the villain, but for this particular story I’ll make an exception. This story doesn’t need to be as long as it has been because simply put, nothing is happening. This is a circle jerk of the author getting off on his own Gary Stus. He has made no show that making fun of Roamer, Rogio, and Rome will get you on his shit list. Despite how much this is an issue, Kique hasn't grown out of this rather juvenile tantrum. Kique, you present yourself as a man, fucking act like one.

Case in point, the way Marduk is handled. I do not believe - nor will I ever believe that he had any intention to make this character a villain. However, because of the fall out with his co writer, he is fucking over this character for no other reason than spite. It doesn't matter what Marduk’s relationship/characterization was prior to this happening, Kique is pushing this narrative. And please, I do understand that shit happens, but there is a right way, and a wrong way to do a pivotal shift if you change your mind about a character. This is also seen the way that he is floating the idea of killing off Kargo again because again, God forbid a character is more popular than his fucking Gary Stus.

Rogio:

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/87/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/111/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/163/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/178/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/188/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/201/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/242/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/265/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/314/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/327/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/349/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/369/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/383/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/388/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/442/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/534/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/552/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/561/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/575/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/583/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/645/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/648/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/664/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/677/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/695/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/703/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/762/

https://home-comic.thecomicseries.com/comics/851/

While I’m half kidding here, he honestly would make a compelling villain within the story with how much destruction he has caused to the dogs he has come in contact with. He is responsible for enabling Jarl Arenek’s practices of kidnaping dogs and raping females. Though I have noticed that Kique has been rather careful to not mention Rogio mounting one before. If you take into consideration he is a fuckboy with no boundaries that went after Roamer, would have gone after Rhov, and is making it seem like fucking Kargo as of chapter 13 is appropriate this character has serious issues with using sex as a tool. Yes, Roamer does to an extent, but he has nothing on this asshole.

So in the beginning when we are introduced to Rogio, he appears to be a stoic, loyal member of the MT. It is revealed early on that he is willing to comfort Ranach when he reveals that Silas has been killed. In fact, he is so devoted to Ranach that he kills Arenek on Ranach’s command. What is interesting to note here is that he didn’t do it to improve the female’s condition or to give them a better life, he did it because his lover requested it of him. So Ranach takes over MT, Rogio is made Baron, but then we have this little back and forth of Rogio upset that Ranach takes an interest in Ronja when the implication was that he and Ranach were supposed to be the ones to rule the tribe together. So this characters perfect little world was thrown into disarray because Ranach broke a promise and tossed him into the wind.

Even after this, Ranach still wants to fuck him and explains that the only reason that he said those things is because he was scared and blah blah blah. Point being is that Rogio, despite everything that has happened chooses to forgive him and they fuck. Then we get to Kargo being captured, Rogio comes in to clean his wounds and here Kargo calls Rogio out on his cowardice. Rogio admits that Ferah is alive and for some reason decides to betray Ranach by freeing Kargo and Ferah. This of course goes against what we are shown on screen because he has no valid reason to betray Ranach. Remember, he loves Ranach, Ranach is his partner, he would do anything on Ranach’s command even if that means killing his own father. So I don’t understand why even use Rogio for this plot point. Rogio finds Roamer, the two hatch a plan to help Kargo and Ferah escape.

And again, we see Rogio using his body to entice Ranach to sleep with him. He ties up Ranach and frees Kargo and Ferah and they along with Roamer try to escape. Rogio is caught and Ranach marches him to the outskirts to be killed. Before they part ways, Rogio emplores Ranach to let him help him because he knows that there is good inside him and he loves him, and all of this other bullshit that I can’t take seriously because again the fucker betrayed him for NO FUCKING REASON. And you know the story would have honestly benefited if he died here, but Kique seemed to have fallen in love with this character and scrapped his script to make sure he stayed alive. Kargo, Ferah, and Roamer save Rogio and this sets off a chain of events that I can only describe as cringe bullshit.

The first thing that happens is that we see that Rogio keeps having nightmares. He takes the form of a ghoul-like entity that is supposed to be terrifying. It is presented as a consistent issue and we see bags being put under Rogios eyes to reflect this. Rogio shares a moment with Rhovanian and I didn’t notice this before, but Rogio actually asks of Rhov will join Roamer. It’s just… weird because why ask for Roamer specifically? Why not Kargo?

We then get to where Rogio overhears Kargo and Roamer arguing when it comes out that they kept the fact that Ronja was in MT a secret. While Kargo offers to go back with him, Roamer refuses and tells Kargo to stay away. And just for clarification Rogio eavesdropping on other characters is a constant thing with this character, especially when it comes to Kargo and Roamer. Rogio follows after Roamer and laments that he didn’t know what Ronja met to Roamer which is a fucking LIE. When Ranach told her the bullshit story about Kargo and Ferah and how they are outlaws, Ronja was concerned because she knew that Roamer was with them. The whole reason why Zilas died was because Ronja sent the MT out to LOOK FOR ROAMER. This is such a fucking red flag with this character and shows just how deceptive and manipulative he is. The two start the journey back to MT and Rogio passes out because of the effects from the bad dream I guess. Here Rogio confides in Roamer that the MT has a hold on him and it affected how he sees himself. Then we have a small blurb about Rogio trying to justify why Kargo wouldn’t want to go back to the MT because you know the rapes and mental chains that you just admitted to having. Because no one else can have that but you, you rapist piece of shit douchebag. Then we get into the heart as to why Ronja would go to the MT. While Rogio is quick to point out that Ranach lured her there, he is oddly muted as to why she wasn’t used for breeding purposes. In fact not only does he minimize the fact, it points that Oreo Twatwaffle went to someone else which is not… good? I mean if you lure someone with the thought of being in love with them and go to someone else, what does that say about Rogio? He knew that Ronja loved Ranach with all of her heart. How do you qualify that by choosing to STILL sleep with Ranach? See what I mean, this guy is a slimeball and not once is Kique willing to call him out for the horrible things that he’s done.

In the interim, they walk back to the Lonely Village were Zilas was killed, and Rogio is surprised to learn that Roamer didn’t get the full details of what happened. He assures Roamer that if he was the one that was sent to find Zilas, he would have NEVER let that happen because you know, mental chains am-I-right? Rogio is quick to point out that he was not born in the MT but forced to be there which again his bullshit. He had a chance to disappear after he was nursed back to health, but he stayed because he fell in love with Ranach. There was a side that only he saw that no one else did, and yet, he didn’t try to manipulate Ranach to improve the female’s condition, he didn’t try to seek help, hell he could have ran away with Ranach if he felt that strongly about it. He sat back on his laurels and let those in lower positions suffer. THEN he has the audacity to say that Ranach tossed him out the moment that he got an excuse. Motherfucker are you for real? You BETRAYED him. You let the rebels go when it was clear that Ranach hated Kargo and Ferah. He is so self absorbed and Roamer just takes him at his word and never questions him in the slightest. And even after knowing that Zlias died, knowing that Kargo likes Roamer, knowing that he was the cause of suffering, he fucks Roamer. Perfect stand up guy ladies and gentleman.

The pair make it back to MT, and despite Rogio being branded a traitor, he is greeted with smiles and cheers. Roamer also sees Ronja and it seems that Rogio is taken aback watching Roamer wanting to be with Ronja. He comes up to Roamer later and notes that he doesn’t want what happened between them the night before to be a one time thing. In fact, he presses that Roamer despite being inexperienced, new to relationships, and only having one previous lover that he CERTAINLY wants it to. Roamer leaves to say his goodbyes to Ferah and Kargo and Rogio is left with Ronja. Now what is interesting in this dialogue is that it is Ronja that is the one to apologize first to Rogio. She didn’t do anything to this asshole, but unprompted, it’s just an apology out of her mouth. Also, not only does Rogio lament that she was scared and confused, he remarks that he was also jealous of her. Meaning that this fucker sleeping behind his back was less about loving Ranach, but how dare his lover want someone else besides him! And because Rogio is oh so special and everyone was overjoyed to see him, Ronja offers him a position back in the tribe. No questions asked. And despite how Roamer is conflicted when he gets back after making peace with Kargo, he is assured that he is meant to be with Rogio and they have sex.

We meet later and there is an issue with the dwindling food supply. Normally the herd is relocated elsewhere for feeding, but because of Ranach’s threat after he was kicked out of the tribe, Ronja decides that enough is enough and they need to hunt down Ranach. Why they are so bothered by the Twatwaffle is a mystery, but let’s just go with it. Ronja asks for a group of volunteers to scout for Ranach. Roamer goes, Fuss, and Fremja but you know who doesn’t bother? You guessed it, Rogio. Despite him being offered a position in the tribe, despite knowing that Ranch would likely freeze up, despite knowing that females who have been abused for YEARS are willing to risk their lives on the line this pile of horse shit can’t bother to face his tormentor because of mental chains.

During the scouting mission, they stumble upon the shrine that was erected for Avanti. Fuss notes that the beast was likely summoned by Ranach. You know, a supernatural creature. That alone should have made them fall back and not too surprisingly they get attacked. Roamer gets a knife in the leg trying to protect Fremja and just as the creature is going to kill Roamer, Fuss burns the shrine and saves them all. They retreat back to the tribe. Rogio, horrified gets over emotional and they publicly shows affection to one another. Vigr sees this and lets Rogio know that Ranach went mad after he thought he killed Rogio, he points out that because Rogio IS alive they can use it to their advantage and again, despite this douchebag being the second in command, despite the trauma of others, despite him swearing up and down how he wants to fix mistakes in the past, despite fucking protecting someone other than himself he shows how much of a selfish coward he is. No one calls him out for this. No one tells this bastard to be a man and do what needs to be done.

The next day, Ronja sends out another party out to deal with this using Rogio’s scent supposedly. This detail never gets brought up, nor is Ranach shown to react to it at all. Jonna and Fuss are killed as a result of this. Roamer puts it together that the person that Rogio fell in love with was Ranach and despite everything, he points out that while Ranach is a monster, he acknowledges that softer side that Ranach showed Rogio was valid and just a bunch of stupid self verification that makes me want to vomit. Rogio once again isn’t called out for his shitty behavior and never will be in this story. Kique tries so hard to make him appear likable but the source material proves just the opposite. Fuss and Jonna are given a funeral and Rogio remarks that burning the bodies is unnatural and… and this just is so out of place. Instead of lamenting that this dogs died BECAUSE OF YOU you make a show of how they are sent off. Fucking hell.

After Kargo kills the two Solar Stag merchants, Kargo decides that the best course of action is to take Ferah back to the MT. They have no idea about Ranach or Aventi but given the circumstances this is the best that they can do. It is no surprise that Kargo is still sore about what happened between Roamer and Rogio and he attacks Rogio in a fit of rage. Rogio says that NEITHER he or Roamer expected this to happen and BOTH of them were broken and hurt and I just… want to punch him in the face so bad. YOU were not hurt, you were given a choice SEVERAL TIMES and you didn’t take it. YOU decided you wanted to be a horses ass and not do shit. YOU SLEPT WITH ROAMER a fucking DAY after he and Kargo broke up. That is malicious as shit and no I don’t believe him when he says that he didn’t plan it. He uses his body to get what he wants, he is a whore. Regardless how angry Kargo is, he’s fucking right here. No lies detected. Again Rogio insists that he was abused by Ranach which is a lie and he should have been a better friend to Kargo which he never has been. Basically this is trying to paint Rogio out to be this magnanimous character and stick it to anyone that has anything negative to say about him.

Despite everything, the only ‘point’ Rogio makes is that Kargo left Roamer alone with the ghouls. And I just want to say that this is a stupid hill to die on. First, Roamer knows that darkness means the ghouls come out at night. He was told that, he knows that lore. Kargo was understandably upset that Ferah appeared to have died when he asked Roamer to save her. I’m not trying to excuse Kargo here, but Ferah is his best friend in the whole world. It would be out of character if he didn’t lose his shit. Vandi reveals later that both Kargo and Ferah’s mother prayed to the spirits to help their children. That Kargo’s rage and anger are likely the result of this and that their mothers died knowing they would protect each other. This revelation doesn’t do anything for me. It explains why Kargo has rage issues, but it doesn’t add to his character in the grand scheme of things. Regardless, Kargo decides to seek out Rogio and ask him pointley does he love Roamer? He doesn’t say yes, but admits they are taking it slow and don’t want to hurt each other. Kargo says that if he breaks Roamer’s heart, he’ll kill them and well that’s just the end of this relationship that Kargo and Rogio have. Apparently this is Kargo coming to terms with the fact that his ex moved on. I don’t agree with this but Kique refused to properly address this because he doesn’t know how to deal with conflict so he lobotomized Kargo’s method of thinking. And if you think I’m being hyperbolic we’ll see this play out later in the story.

For now, Ranach decides that now is the right time to attack the MT. He sets the walls on fire and he and Avanti jump the barrier. Interestingly enough Avanti is the one that senses Rogio. She disobeys Ranach to look for Rogio. And I need to stress that. This creature, that is summoned, that is duty bound to Ranach defies an order. There is no on screen explanation given, and while I’m pretty sure Kique gave a reason in the comments section that I’m too lazy to find, he just fucked off on his own worldbuilding for the sake of keeping this fucker alive. So Kargo and Ferah face off against Ranach, Avanti hunts down Rogio because… reasons. With how easily Avanti shredded Fuss and Jonna, a logical person would conclude that Rogio would get his ass handed to him. Notice the way that the fight plays out. In Joanna's case, she was grabbed by the scruff of the neck and based on the amount of blood, likely got deep lacerations before bleeding out. Same thing with Fuss. While Avanti does go for the scruff at first, then she hovers over Rogio instead of just grabbing him again. Avanti gets distracted by Akleja, Rogio manages to get his mouth around the necklace that she is wearing and it shatters. Again, there is no in universe explanation for what this does and the significance of it. For reasons only in Kique's head though, this stops this dead set mode to kill Rogio. Avanti says sorry in her alien language and she just leaves.

In the aftermath, Kargo is killed by Ranach and we see a very emotional Roamer saying that he is hungry to kill. Which… okay? I don't understand this change of character. It was pretty much painted out that Kargo was a hard friendzone and I have a hard time believing that suddenly he cares so much about Kargo. This is the same dumbass that was willing to go back to MT knowing of the emotional trauma that happened to Kargo and Ferah. The two friends that he was willing to travel Aedra together and then suddenly decided that staying with Ronja was more important even though the whole reason Ronja got involved with MT was BECAUSE he wanted to explore Aedra with his two friends. It's tonal whiplash.

We fast-forward to after Ronja has her puppies and Roamer comes into the hut and discovers that Rogio has stepped down. And while I agree this is needed, he should have done this when he got Fuss and Jonna killed. His sudden need to step down now is hollow at best and I don't find it sincere in the least bit. Again we have Roamer saying that Avanti looked death in the eye and saved Vandi and Akleja and I almost want to ask him what does that make Kargo who was willing to look Ranach in the eye, saved Ferah and likely everyone else in the MT because you know… mother fucker was trying to kill them all! Rogio leaves Roamer and when we see them again, Rogio's nightmares apparently came back. Notice that this wasn't an issue when he was fucking Roamer before Kargo and Ferah arrived on MT lands. Roamer tries to initiate sex and Rogio rebuffs him.

Next day Ronja notes that Roamer and Rogio seem more distant since Kargo died and I'm sitting here rolling my eyes. I don't feel sorry for either of them. Their entire relationship was built on sex, the emotional needs were barely factored into the equation. Supposedly Roamer cares so deeply about Kargo and I haven't seen anything that hinted he wanted to mend the relationship. Sure, they hugged each other after Kargo went ballistic on Rogio, but even during the dance before the attack, Roamer was spending time with Rogio and didn't try to check on his ex. Anyway, a courier informs Ronja that a Tinget was called and like usual only Rogio seems to know where it is or what to expect even though MT doesn't go to Tingets. It's all so fucking frustrating. It's very simple. Ronja just needed to ask the courier to make a map, give directions, or something in between. But no, Rogio has to save the day AGAIN. It is decided that he will take Ronja to it. On the way there, we see Rogio's ghoul apparently still bothering him. He tells Ronja that he's fine and they go to sleep. After the Tinget, Rogio and Fjordor meet and for some reason Rogio opens up to him. Now keep this in mind. Rogio hasn't spoken to his lover, his leader, but the old gimpy man he met once? Oh he'll spill his soul out to him. Rogio confides that he thinks he will hurt someone and Gimpy asks what he believes he needs to do. Rogio replies he needs to leave and Gimpy responds to do so and win this fight. Whatever the fuck that is supposed to mean. This is the same idiot that that indirectly caused Kargo's death. The same one that despite knowing that Kargo had trauma reported him to Solar Stag, the double standards that the characters in this comic displays is disgusting.

When Rogio and Ronja go back home we see this rather confusing scene of Rogio charging a random dog near their camp. Rogio is aggressive and it almost is like he doesn't want to listen to Ronja's command to let him go. Then he goes on this paranoid tirad that the dog is likely not from the tribe he claimed and they are looking for weakness which… okay. Where was this demeanor when it actually mattered? This paranoia and untrusting of others? By this point the MT walls have not been repaired, if they were concerned about being overtaken by other tribes, they have not DONE anything to address it. It's artificial and frankly, a bit too late. Now, as the two make their way to MT the next morning, Rogio tries to ditch Ronja but fails. Makes an excuse and shows again how uncommitted he is to his convictions.

It's been fifteen days after Rogio returns and he still is having nightmares about his ghoul. He wakes up abruptly, Roamer tries to talk to him, wants him to open up and Rogio just glosses over it and tells him he's fine. Then Roamer confides that a part of him died with Kargo and he can't smile and laugh like he used to anymore. He implores Rogio to let him know if they are over. Here is where it should end, Rogio has been giving Roamer the cold shoulder for ages, he doesn't talk to him, he doesn't emotionally trust him, and by his own admission he is a danger to others until he can get his ghoul under control. Does Rogio have a moment of honesty? Of course he doesn't because that would mean that Kique would admit that Rogio is a shit character. Instead we have Rogio selfishly sahing that he doesn't want their relationship to end and then Roamer, the dumbass that he is asks not for Rogio to open up to him but to touch him. Like… seriously think about that. Roamer is saying I want to Have SEX with you, not that I want you to be open to me, not that I want you to stop avoiding me, I want physical sex like we used to, and damn you and your feelings. Fucking hell. Now to Rogio's credit, he doesn't do what Roamer wants and walks out of their hut.

Oh don't worry children, because we have yet another night where Roamer sees Rogio packing to leave. And while Rogio states that he doesn't want to drag Roamer down, notice that he doesn't try to cut their relationship. Roamer pleads with Rogio to talk to him which he finally admits to killing and or hurting Ronja and Roamer. Roamer uses the power of “I love you no matter what” and again we meet this tonal whiplash again where suddenly everything that Rogio has done up to this point is excused and they have sex because of course they do.

After Roamer tells Rogio to seek out the Spirit of Serenity that he learned from Kargo and this is another issue I have because early on, Rogio stated that the spirits are not to be trusted. They promise everything and take everything. Hell, his home tribe was attacked by a spirit,but I suppose because his boyfriend said it, it suddenly is okay. You do you Kique. So we have this whole arc of Rogio going to silence the demon inside of him.

The next time we see Rogio, he's on the summit. He recites the words on the stone which tell him to lay down his armor and be exposed and vulnerable. The Elk spirit states that they have been waiting for Rogio and notes that great sadness has been inflicted on his heart. And… I want ask this spirit what fucking sadness are they talking about. Just about all of the problems that Rogio has ARE caused by Rogio. This isn't some 4-D chess move from all of the proof that is provided in the story. Part of Kique's problem is that if he thinks that he says something, it becomes true. That's not how storytelling works. Rogio is a selfish, horny asshole. There isn't a lot more to his character than that. Regardless to what the reader thinks though Rogio says that he is willing to put his life on the line. Wouldn't you know it the moment he gets thrown into this world, he pulls out a knife when the fucker was supposed to put everything down for his trial! This fucker failed the trial the second he took it! I don't fucking get it. He should have had his soul ripped asunder and had the ghoul devour him but again, because Kique refuses to let this fucker die he fights and defeats his ghoul. Somehow Kargo his in the space in between and gets saved by Rogio. The two are thrust back into the world of the living and we have this neutered version of Kargo.

Kargo who barely tolerated Rogio suddenly is more subdued. One of the notable exchanges is how Kargo says that he is in Rogio's debt and I'm going to pause the story and explain this because the implication is insidious. Kique didn't like Kargo, this was clear how he split Kargo and Roamer up, this was obvious how the break up went, obvious when Kargo went berserk and attacked the Solar Stag merchants, how quickly Roamer moved to Rogio. He had no intention on keeping Kargo around which is why he was killed off in the stupidest way imaginable. What Kique didn't count on was that Kargo turned out to be one of the best written characters in his comic. Despite his issues, he was relatable and had a lot of fans. Given the backlash, I do believe that he was bothered by it, and perhaps he learned to like the character again which is why he came back. However the issue was, he couldn't have Kargo come back how he was because many preferred Kargo and Roamer versus the Roamer and Rogio pairing. In order to self sabotage this from happening, he had to alter the dynamics of the characters.

Allow me to explain further. In order to avoid a situation where Roamer might fall in love with Kargo again, Kique had to make Kargo subservient to Rogio. This puts Kargo in a position where he is forced to remember what Rogio did with him IE save his life. Because of this, it is doubtful that he will do anything to upset Rogio or sabotage his relationship no matter what his feelings about Roamer are. It's emotional blackmail and for someone that used the term ‘bound in mental chains’ which this character specifically, Kique is an asshole for doing this. This is part of the reason why I believe that Kargo speaks so strangely to Rogio in this chapter specifically. Yes, I realize that he's hurt and in shock, but it's more than that.

Anyway back to this mess. The Forngryms find Kargo and Rogio and they are captured. They are supposed to be sacrificed for a feeding ritual even though starving them on a pole for a few days would make them loose fat and therefore be more undesirable but just continued to consume product without thinking and then we meet Feomeh and Diarko who take pity on the pair and decide to believe the dogs and free him, they escape, Feomeh seems to drown and Kargo, Rogio, and Diarko make it back to MT.

Again, there is still more of this odd exchange with a sub Kargo and Rogio. The more that I see these two interact the more I feel that this is Kique more than the characters themselves. Kargo for instance says that while believe alive again is not a burden he is tired. Rogio suggests that he could travel elsewhere or join Ferah if he wants but he can make his choice later. Over a fire, Kargo makes the decision to fight Ranach since he is a threat to those he loves. That's fine and all, but one of the things that has bothered me is why let one dog dictate your life. They act like Ranach is a god, he's a fucking twink who has plot armor. After MT lose a few members it is decided that the tribe relocate and start over. This is something that should have been done with Ranach left but whatever. Better late than never. While Kargo and Roamer are visiting Ferah, MT get attacked by a nearby tribe with the warning that they disband or die on the land. This is again a hamfisted plot point because there has never been anything stopping MT from getting attacked but okay. I also don't understand why now when many at the Tinget know that MT is ran by Ronja unless they just think that she was lying or have selfish motives but whatever.

Roamer speaks with Kargo a little with Diarko and once again we have Rogio eavesdropping on the pair. When Roamer joins Rogio back in the hut, that's when Rogio suggests that they include Kargo in their relationship which again, based on the dynamics I mentioned earlier, doesn't seem like he's being sincere about it. I don't doubt Kargo loves Roamer here, but what I do question what Rogio gets out of it. It's not like Kargo and he have any dynamics other than ‘I saved your life’ and this weirdness with Kargo's personality change make it very, very superficial.

As of 884, that's all that I really can report on Rogio at the moment. As you see, Rogio is very manipulative, maybe just as much as Ranach in some cases. If he was unironically written, he'd be a damn fine villain how he uses trauma to use other people to his whims.

Ranach: Goddamn Oreo Twatwaffle

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God, I’m going to need ten minutes to explain this bastard - and not in a good way. I’ll just go ahead and say if anyone likes Ranach unironically, I question your tastes in villains. He is generic at best and highly offensive at the worst within this story.

Lets go over how he was portrayed prior to chapter 6 since there is a noticeable change that occurs within the comic in regards to this character.

He’s manipulative, this became obvious when he lured Galti and Alva into the tribe. I do believe that his reasoning for taking interest in Ronja had everything to do with kidnapping her and the Asmundr pack too but that's neither here nor there. After he had his father killed, he took over the pack, named Ronja his Viscountess, Rogio his Baron, and decides that MT cannot move forward until they deal with the rebels Kargo and Ferah. Despite how he has used Rogio for pleasure, when he questions why Ranach is showing interest in Ronja, he tells Rogio that their time spent together meant nothing and as his Jarl, Rogio is no longer his secret lover anymore.

Ranach sends a group to the Lonely Village and orders Zilas killed offscreen. While that happens, he tells Ronja that they are close to finding Roamer thanks to her ‘friends’. The group tracks down Ferah's hut while Kargo is desperately searching for Ferah who fell off the waterfall because of Aira. Kargo gets captured and is taken to MT. While that is going on, Ranach tries to make a move on Rogio and he rebuffs his advances based on what was said earlier. Ranach puts on puppy eyes tells him he made a mistake. Rogio walks away and Kargo is taken before Ranach. Ranach is convinced that Kargo made a pact with a spirit and tells him he won't let him go free from the world until he spills his secrets. Roamer asks Kainen for help and the two of them confront Ranach which he tells them to fuck off and note that tribe matters are not the business of outlanders.

Ranach is seduced by Rogio later. This is done, not because Rogio had a change of heart, minda you, but just because he wants to free Kargo and Ferah. They manage to get away with Roamer, but Rogio is captured and is taken to the outskirts to be sacrificed. Knowing that Rogio makes him weak, he leave Rogio and sentences his lover to death. After this happens, Ranach withdrawals from the tribe, let's Ronja lead it and eventually goes mad. He finally leaves the tribe without a word, determined to get Rogio back by asking the help of a spirit. When he meets the Keeper of the Undead, it informs Ranach that he has to offer his unborn to get Rogio back. Realizing that Ronja is pregnant he goes back and finds that the gate is blocked and the MT members are not too happy with Ranach abandoning the tribe. It comes out that Ranach had Zilas killed and in a fit of rage, Ronja tells Ranach to never return or he'll be killed. Somewhere off screen, he and Ulfr meet and decide that they will take revenge on the MT. This leads to Ranach summoning Avanti with a shrine. This creature does what Ranach commands without fail and they are ‘lovers’ from the spell that is used. After the second attempt, Avanti kills Fuss and Jonna and this is were we get a scene where Ulfr nearly gets raped by Ranach. While Ranach says that he would never lay with him before, the implication is still there. When Ulfr rebuks his advance, Ranach uses Avanti to kill him. While MT is under siege, Kargo and Ferah make their way back to MT after Kargo killed the Solar Stag merchants. Interesting enough this is one of the few times that Ranach can use his nose to smell the pair (but for some reason can't smell Rogio even though he's been there much, much longer) and it inspires a fit of rage. When we see Ranach again, he's have a nightmare where it seems he was a pup that is separated from his mother. His father tells him to stop calling out to her and it ends with him waking up abruptly and going to set fire to the MT and start his assault.

After Avanti leaves Ranach, he faces off with Ferah and Kargo. Ranach is giving the advantage because he is the only one with the knife (omg plot armor!) and he manages to overpower a supernatural dog that has bear power. It's the dumbest fight sequence I've ever seen in my life. Kargo is an experienced fighter even without a knife but he doesn't land a killing or maiming blow on Ranach at all. Instead, he manages to kill Kargo, and slips away without anyone able to chase after him.

It isn't until later that we find that Ranach ran far, far away in the Southspear territory. When we see him again, he's talking to himself. This is something that he hasn't done before, or since actually. I don't even get why this was done other to hint that he's crazy? But even then, this isn't something that happens again, so I'm confused why Kique did it. Two Southspear guards see Ranach and when he says he's here to see the Matriarch, they take Ranach to meet her. On the way, Ranach sees a knock off Rogio that he is clearly taken aback by. When he is taken before Lykenia, he asks to join her tribe. Given what we know about Ranach, this is not something that I would expect for him. He is a leader, not a doer, and I do believe that this is more manipulation for an end game he is working on. Lykenia accepts him and he is part of Southspear.

When we see him later, he's obviously having a hard time adjusting to the high heat. Iberon recruits Ranach and a few others to join them with hunting down a wagon. We see Ranach struggling to keep up, but Iberon is willing to slow down his pace knowing that Ranach won't make it. They catch up to the wagon and Iberon tells Ranach to not kill who they are robbing. They manage to secure the goods and that's pretty much the end of the scene. Next time we see Ranach and Southspear again, a courier brings new of the Tinget, Lykenia has no interest in joining but Ranach wants to capture and question someone going to it. Lykenia puts him in his place and later Ranach realizes that Iberon came from the north and starts to piece together that he might be related to Rogio. He is propositioned by one of the Southspear guards Koegos but turns down his advances.

Some time later Ranach is asked to go with Iberon to hunt. Ranach as it turns out, is horrible at it and by the time they get back, Ranach changes his mind and decides to have sex with Koegos. Later Iberon asks Ranach once again to join him on a raid. This one however his a trap set up by the bounty hunters. One of their members is killed, and Iberon is nearly killed himself until Ranach saves him. When they get back, Ranach laments that they should do something about the bounty hunters which Iberon explains nothing can be done. Ranach presses the matter saying that the capital shouldn't be able to do what they want and not look down on them as beasts, but the problem here is that they… are thieves? It's like getting mad at a prostitute that says she will not love you, but have sex with you. It's kinda… their job? You chose to live this way, of course the capital isn't going to like you. I don't get this train of thought at all.

Ranach seems to spend his day sleeping with other members of the tribe after that. It's pretty clear he wants to bed Iberon because of the Rogio link but is too much of a pussy to ask. Iberon seems to be keeping a close eye on Ranach too which I'm not sure I understand but I guess Kique subtly shipping them is a thing. When we see Ranach later he pleas to Lykenia to make a move on the capital. He proposes that they find like minded tribes to overthrow the capital and live how they please. She asks for time to think about his proposal.

A very angry Iberon walks into Ranach's hut and is not too happy that Lykenia approved of his suggestion. Iberon, Ranach, and a few others are supposed to look for tribes. Iberon tells Ranach that he doesn't give a damn about his intentions and has no intention on dying for a cause like this. Lykenia makes a plea to her people that they have all been treated unfairly and intend to spark a rebellion against the capital. Iberon is still sour and Ranach tries to appeal to him. Iberon points out that he knows Ranach has bedded all of the males in the tribe and leaves them the next morning. Ranach then says that he doesn't want them, but Iberon and throughout this annoying dialogue Iberon presses Ranach against the wall and fucks him.

They wake up the next morning and Iberon asks Ranach about the scar on his face. It comes out that his father didn't allow same sex bonds and punished Ranach for being caught by giving him it. The thing is… unless Arenek was a complete moron, there is no way he wasn't bound to notice that his son was still have sexual relations with Rogio. According to Jonna, Ranach wasn't seen with females often and I'm sure many saw the way that he was spending time with Rogio. This is another ill conceived plot point that you aren't supposed to think about. The two tend to their affairs before setting off to the Shiverfall Tribe.

On the way there, Siqhaala remarks to Iberon that they are surprised Iberon is attached to Ranach. Iberon further clarifies that he isn't with him, but just is allowing Ranach closer to him because he appears to be more honest. Siqhaala tells him to be careful and notes that they can feel that Ranach has done bad things which Iberon says he'll never let Ranach hurt anyone. Ranach makes an appeal to Shiverfall saying that they are in chains and not truly free from the capital because if they step out of line, they will be killed. Flamegarde also joins them, noting the incident with the Red Wolf Jahla.

And so far, that's all I have for Ranach and his bullshit arch. While I agree that this character shows signs of a villain from a pragmatic point of view, I'm not convinced he will turn out to be one in the end. Part of it is due how the capital and Marduk is being presented, but then we have Ranach having this Jekyll and Hyde type of writing. I do attribute this to how Kique personally feels about the character which is why I'm convinced Kique will try to redeem him despite all of the horrible shit he has done in the comic.

My own thoughts:

Because this comic is beyond help, I’ll just say this. All characters in a story need motives and have a set of principles, yes even a villain. For a villain, you might not agree or approve with their actions, but their manner of thinking or characterization should be constant or have a REASON for an abrupt change if one occurs within the narrative in the story. One of the pitfalls that I see for a lot of writers is believing that villains need to be sympathetic or have a redemption arc going for them (Disney is especially bad with this). I am pretty old school, not every villain can be set up to be like Zuko from Avatar the Last Airbender. Hell, I'll even take it a step further and say that not all villains need a REASON for the actions that they do. They are called villains for a reason.

A constant and consistent problem that this story has is there is no overarching plot. Instead, characters just move around because Kique wants them to. There is no rhyme or reason for it, but it’s for the sake of dragging out this story as long as he possibly can. Home shows why it is important you plan out your story with an outline to keep the characters true to their nature. As it stands, there are too many contradictions with the bloated cast of characters in Home. Something that a character did in one chapter is forgotten in the next. There are so many plotlines that are not tied up that it just creates confusion within the story. What happened to the nightbeasts? What happened to Southspear being labeled as dangerous? Why did Ninmah decide that Forngryms were dangerous but Taiga lions aren’t? It’s all so messy and it could have been fixed if Kique gave a damn about his writing.

Ranach is supposed to be a main character in this story but the later chapters show him being sympathetic AKA redeemable to the audience. Honestly, after the actions that he has done, the last thing any competent writer should be doing with this character is trying to explain his backstory this late. It would have been a far different case if we knew this information from the start, but it makes it seem as though this was thought of later which is more than likely the main reason as Kique is having a change of heart about this character. I do not genuinely think that Ranach will die by the time the comic ends. There is way too much exposition done to show that he is the ‘good guy’ within Home and that is fucking disgusting.

If this was my project, I would make Ninmah the overarching villain with Rogio as a secondary one. I don’t like her for reasons that I’ve stated in my Solar Stag video, but she has the making of a true villain by manipulating all of the dogs to do her bidding. It would have been easy to make her the Lone Wolf and make her responsible for the phobic tendencies displayed by the dogs. It divides them and keeps them under her control and they are easier to manipulate. The issue with Solarstag is that they want everyone to respect them but give nothing back in return. They MUST be respected because they are the self proclaimed capital. If you don’t believe me, look at how they are treating Kargo who had a PTSD attack and killed the merchants. There was no trying to figure out what happened, no asking his side of things, he was just sentenced to death. Meanwhile Jahla killed two Flameguard members and she was pardoned for her crime as it was declared in self defense. The implication is that mental illness and past trauma should not be taken into consideration when looking at a person. Do not get me wrong, if you do something bad, yes you should be punished, but to just sentence someone to death shows just how little Kique thinks about this.

For anyone that writes a villain, have them commit to being one. Not everyone can and is meant to be a Zuko. If they do unspeakable actions such as what was seen in the Meteor Tribe, those characters are not worth redeeming or being sympathetic to. Murder, rape and kidnapping should not be taken lightly and Ranach has committed all three without any self reflection or remorse - yes even with Rogio here. Kique is flat out refusing to lean into the serious crimes this character has committed. You should be asking yourself why the author is doing everything he can to redeem this bastard, but that’s a topic for another day. For now, I’ll just end it here letting you ponder on what I’ve mentioned. Even after breaking down all of the potential villains, there is none which makes you wonder what the fuck have you been spending over 800 pages reading? Asher out.

#kique7 #home #homecomic #kique nordin #Script #video script #asmundrcomic #asmundrhome #asmundr

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