#wilderwest

[starryarchitect]

[quiet-art-kid]

Thoughts on Hiccup being "The last great Viking Hero"

When I first read that Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was the last king of the Wilderwest and the last great Viking hero, I always thought that meant the Wilderwest fell apart after his death, unable to endure without a Hiccup at the helm, but that is admittedly a very pessimistic take.

Right now, I have a slightly more hopeful point of view. What if Hiccup was the last great Viking hero, not because no one else could ever be as great a hero as him, but because no one ever needed to be?

Despite the awesomeness of daring quests and clever plans, underneath it all, it were the suffering people who needed Hiccup. It is never wise to rest the fate of society on one person. Hiccup was an exception to this rule, though he chose to be the exception. He really was that fantastical good king who is wise, fair, and just. But a good king does not necessarily mean a good bloodline. Grimbeard the Ghastly hailed from Hiccup the First’s lineage, and yet the two could not be further apart. Hiccup knows that he cannot control what his descendants become.

I think that during his life, Hiccup phased out the monarchy, as he did with the dragons, in favor of a more republic/democratic system, where instead of there being one glorious hero tasked with saving everyone, problems were solved collectively, with each person doing their own small part.

This solution lacks the romance of the epic tales of heroes of old (which might explain the slightly wistful tone of the books)

Robin Hood peacefully filling out forms for state-provided aid to feed the poor and helping pass legislation that limits taxation on low-income individuals just does not hit the same as Robin Hood bravely robbing the greedy rich and challenging evil sheriffs to sword fights. Still, it is a much more realistic solution.

I don't think that this means that there weren't people who would step up in times of crisis. I think there were definitely heroes after Hiccup, but none to the degree that Hiccup had to be

[bobauthorman]

Reading the How To Train Your Dragon book series by Cressida Cowell, I realize that there is a particular twist on fantasy stories that I think I like most of all.

SPOILERS FOR THE LATTER BOOKS! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

In some fantasy stories, it is inevitable that there is a prophecy, some great destiny that of course Our Hero is targeted by. I am not against such things, if they are done right. It helps heighten the stakes of the conflict that Our Hero must resolve. However, I do believe that the idea of a Chosen One sort of kerfuffles the initial concept of a random nobody from nowhere that rises to prominence by their own hard work and cleverness. If it was preordained, then it didn't matter how hard they worked and how clever they are, wasn't it?

Our Hero of the HTTYD series is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. And as the series goes on it becomes increasingly obvious that he is Destined for Great Things. Well, he was already the son of a chief, next in line for the throne, so I guess that's not that big of a twist. But here's where things go a bit loopy.

Hiccup was never supposed to exist!

According to Excellinor the Witch, Destiny had determined that Stoick the Vast, descendant the Last King's younger son, would marry someone named Grimhilda the Gormless, and their union would produce yet more viking oafs, no different than any other in the Barbaric Archipelago. This would ensure that the only one cunning enough to collect the King's Ten Lost Things would be Alvin the Treacherous, descendant of Grimbeard the Ghastly's eldest son.

But something went wrong. Instead of Grimhilda, Stoick married Valhallarama of the White Arms and Chunky Thighs. And their child was not a 'proper' viking child, but a runt. A runt, but cunning and yet kind enough to fulfill Grimbeard's hopes for an Heir who would be a better King of the Wilderwest.

Do you see what I am saying? Hiccup was not born under a star. He was never supposed to be born at all! Hiccup's very existence is a defiance of destiny itself. If there are any prophecies about Hiccup, it would be the one made by the Dragon Furious, who foresaw Hiccup killing all of the dragons.

Which Hiccup did not do. Hiccup instead chose to save the dragons, helping them go into hiding, safe from humans who would continue to exploit them.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, became the Child of Prophecy by being the one thing the Barbaric Archipelago needed; a disruption in their normal routine.

[emachinescat]

(for the WIP tag game)

Wilderwest

In regards to this post. :)

Hi, thanks so much for the ask! I don't actually have any snippets to share just yet, as I'm still in the planning/outlining phase. But it's going to be a kind of fusion of the Westerwild plot from the books and RTTE.

It's going to start with the Riders finding a new island, one with a thick, black forest and a rocky beach upon which sits, half-buried in sand, a great bloodstained throne with a mysterious prophecy etched in the back - a prophecy intended for the true heir of legendary Viking pirate and king Grimbeard the Ghastly. And in those woods, they accidentally find (and free) a terrifying witch from her hollow-tree prison, setting off a chain of events where Hiccup is forced to follow the prophecy and become King of the Wilderwest before the witch Excellinor, allied with Ryker Grimborn (Viggo is going to have his own thing going on; lots of tension in the dragon hunters and division between the brothers), gets there first. Because if Ryker becomes king, he will turn the archipelago into a dark and terrible place, a place of slavery and pain and fear. A place where dragons might be wiped out - forever.

At least, that's the plan! ☺️

[woozymitts]

Jaguar refs from @animalphotorefs

It has been 24 days but I am finally done with this stupid lineup. I do have a file with all of them lined up nicely together but tumblr refuses to upload it so! You get individual pictures!

Usually I color lineart but on the dawn of the 24th day I opened this file and went, "God I can't do this anymore. Just color the lines black."

Anyways, I wanted to figure out how the sphinx in my comic look and finalize some character designs.

All of the sphinx have names that are basically reverse riddles, where they go by the answer in their day-to-day life, and only their family, close friends, and partners get to learn the riddle behind their name.

From left to right:

Valiente - The brother of Dorado, an adventurer and treasure hunter of great renown. He used to travel with his brother, but now he travels alone, always on the hunt for the next great adventure.

Dorado - Named for his golden fur, Dorado is a retired adventurer and treasure hunter. He used to travel the world with his brother but after getting Patience pregnant, he decided to settle down and raise his daughters. Not that he had much choice after Patience left. His coloration is based on a strawberry (erythristic) leopard.

Patience - A princess of the Andadia kingdom, Patience's brother (who is not pictured here) was the heir to the throne. When her daughters were very young her brother and her nephew were killed by a wyvern, and she mysteriously vanished shortly after their deaths, refusing to tell Dorado where she was going.

Luck - Daughter of Dorado and Patience, and captain of the Royal Andadian Navy. In her father's culture, being born with black fur is considered lucky, and in her mother's culture, black fur is considered unlucky. She had a rough childhood, with her peers viewing her as bad luck and blaming her any time something went wrong. She became obsessed with luck and now constantly wears good luck charms, and performs little luck rituals (like knocking on wood) before doing anything important. She needs to get tested for OCD but she refuses to go to the doctor.

Fortune - Daughter of Dorado and Patience, and her sister's complete opposite. Where Luck is outspoken, brazen, and crass, Fortune is quiet, calm, and polite. She usually doesn't speak unless spoken to first, and she often replies in very short sentences. She has a very strained relationship with Luck, and at the time of the comic they haven't seen each other in many years.

[incorrect-thuggory-quotes]

Thuggory: Let us honor the sacrifices of our brothers and sisters and Companions who laid down their lives to bring peace and reunite the Wilderwest! May they be honored in Valhalla amongst their brothers, their fathers, and the Heroes, where under such company, they shan't be ashamed.

[captainbrookeworm]

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, King of the Wilderwest!!

Speedpaint: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xKbcd_UjCU

[aeinridi]

For a Hero cannot triumph all the time. Sometimes he will be defeated, and how he faces that defeat is a test of his character.

I saved my favorite for last. I finished this a while ago but I knew I had to save it for Doomsday.