Aaaaaaahhhhh it's finally done. Excuse me please while I go sleep now for six years.
In all seriousness, though, I hope you guys like it, and like the song. I'm a little scared now that I'm uploading it to be honest, haha, mostly because this took an insane amount of work, between writing, recording, editing and drawing, so if it's not well-received I'm going to feel pretty fucking stupid.
Anyway, thank you all for your patience through the delays, and as always, for your readership and all the kind comments. I have to start leaving the non-harmful spam comments alone because watching you guys reply to them is hilarious.
The next update will be Friday rather than Tuesday, as my brain and my drawing hand both need a bit of recovery time after the massive marathon that was finishing this goddamn song. The youtube link for the Ballad of Oridell is here if anybody wants it.
97 thoughts on “The Ballad of Oridell (Chapter 2 Pages 53-81)”
Extrapilation
So, This made me cry. I love it so much, I wasn’t expecting the vocal accompaniment.
I play a Zealot barbarian in my DnD game and this just hit home so hard, exactly what I’m looking to capture. Thank you for taking the time and doing it right, it was entirely worth the wait.
DT Saranya
Thanks so much. Glad I could evoke something.
And yes, dedicated tank energy in tabletop is a super fun vibe. I’ve got a half-orc fighter who holds a special place in my heart because that “hold the line” energy is just so fun to play.
Rimaven
Holy crap, I’ve listened to comics that came with some musical accompaniment but this is by far the best one I’ve *experienced*! Definitely worth the wait, and definitely begging for more lore
Darkohaku
What a beautiful song! I’m really liking the story and the legends of this world.
Stuart
beautiful
Mel
A ballad? More like an epic! I definitely teared up at a few points throughout the musical accompaniment. Extremely well done, can’t wait to see the panic attack Egg has realizing just how great her task is going to be. Is that too morbid?
SPAM
WHO INDEED EGG, WELL DONE DT, VERY WORTH THE WAIT.
JamesRock7
+1
Pongles
Very well done. 10/10
Sarah
I have a sudden urge to cover this in my singing class… is ok with you?
DT Saranya
Yes, of course. 😀
Neil
Be sure to give credit where credit is due. 🙂
Fangli
…Damn. While ‘beautiful’ is definitely a word that applies to this, it also doesn’t do it justice.
These pages combined with this song are a great representation of the comic itself – it draws you in, immerses you, makes you resonate with the story you’re telling emotionally. It explains the world in an organic way, but it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. What truly impresses me is that you seamlessly integrate the song into the comic – it’s not too slow, it’s not too fast, and it’s perfectly intuitive.
Thank you for this work of art – I’m eager to see where you’ll take this story, and us with it.
DT Saranya
Very kind words, thank you!
Aimz
It’s my first time commenting! I’ve been reading since you went sort of viral on Reddit but I’m normally more of a lurker. Had to comment today because this was just exquisite, absolutely wonderful. Worth the wait! Thanks for your hard work and creativity!
DT Saranya
Thanks for your kind words and for reading. I’m flattered you poked out of lurking status for this one, haha.
Jessica J
Did you go back and read the earlier parts of the comic? There’s another musical accompaniment a ways back! I think this one somehow manages to blow it out of the water, but they’re both amazing!
Jenn H
I got frisson. Thank you so much for this.
Elaborate
Wow, that must have taken a lot of effort! *Applauds*
…So, is Oridell still around? He did seem to age, so he’s not immune to that, but you don’t die solely from age, but from heart failure, disease, suffocation, etc. I guess maybe Death came to fetch him in person…
DT Saranya
Who knows? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
SPAM
YO IS ORIDELL A LICH?
DT Saranya
Lmao, probably.
Shamgar
Firstly, thank you for including the whole epic in one comic- the fear mounted as we reached the titan battle that there would be a pause for dramatic effect. Secondly, You’ve really done something here. I follow about a dozen webcomics, and none have ever done anything like this. As your story goes on and we continue through this world you’re building, people will come back to this page and share it with their friends to give them an idea of what your tale is like. This is going to be one of the hallmarks of your adventure, and of the genre in general. It’s touching, poignant, but still exciting and well-told.
DT Saranya
Thanks so much for all the kind words.
Athomic
Absolutely awesome!!
The pacing during the interlude was perfect.
Thanks for this.
randomDan
This combination of music and comic is amazing. The strength of DT in conveying emotions through body language and expression are greatly enhanced by the music — its hard not to cry.
Thanks DT. I’m glad your taking a much deserved break until Fri.
bstabens
Whow. That was a great read, with the music, and the song so wonderfully composed. I reallyreally like it. Thanks for that!
DT Saranya
Thanks so much for all the kind comments, everyone! I’m sorry if I didn’t reply to yours – I AM noticing and reading all of them, and they’re giving me lots of warm fuzzies!
Cathy W.
I can’t even find words. I’m just stunned at how amazing this is.
DT Saranya
Thanks, Cathy. You’ve always been such a kind supporter for so many years. I remember and appreciate you! 😀
Kale Garbanzo
Holy trout that was FANTASTIC! I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen even while cooking. The song was beautiful and it was such a great method of story telling! Absolutely worth the wait and suspense! Thank you for all that!!!
Happysin
Hah, this was not a fair day. I watched Coco with my daughter for the first time, and then I hear/read this. Excellently done, in no small part for adding a song where there were only words before.
Nathaniel
Welp, I’m crying now.
SPAM
I’M PRETTY SURE DT FEEDS ON THE TEARS OF THEIR READERS.
DT Saranya
I will neither confirm nor deny feeding on tears.
Brutexx
This was very fun to read. Great chapters!
John
Holy shit that was amazing! Right up there with all the Mercedes Lackey/Meg Davis Valdemar songs. Well done indeed!
Jan
This was incredible.
OraCLesofFire
This was extraordinarily inspiring. I ended up rereading the comic so far because of just how well the song emotes eggie’s experiences and insecurities surrounding the god mark. It makes me want to find ways express my creative side so much more than I currently do!
Enif
That. Was. AMAZING! You nailed it on all aspects. I knew from the beginning that this was going to be a special comic but you just took it to a totally different level.
ChaosD
That was amazing! And even though I was consciously scrolling, it still felt like watching a movie and not “just” reading a comic with music. Really immersive, and really, really impressive. Thank you very much for the experience!
Ryan
When J.R.R. Tolkien included lays within the Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, you got a sense of the depth of the cultures he’s portraying and you can feel the connections between the singers and the history that lies behind them. But something is lost in the telling, as there is no tune to set the verses to, and no imagery beyond the reader’s own imagination. Your storytelling here goes far beyond what Tolkien accomplished; the music was absolutely perfect, and scrolling through the imagery as the song progressed brought the story to life in ways that words alone cannot achieve.
Well done. Well done, indeed.
DT Saranya
Very high praise. I’m flattered. Thanks so much!
Norasticus
Been reading since the first post on reddit, and I really don’t post anywhere, lurking all the time..
But man… this song and the flow of the story made me tear up. Definitely worth the wait and I can’t wait to see where the story goes from here.
Really loving the lore that you’re building up in such a natural way. Kinda felt like I was in the inn myself, listening and being mesmerized by Egg singing away
Norasticus
Just wondering if Oridell is still alive, or did something happen to him by now, since his presumed Divine task is over. Maybe old age? Can’t wait for more!
BlueTribe
Perfect.
Pingo
beautiful, just beautiful
Kario
Awesome. Fantastic job.
Coyote
I would wait a month between each update if I had to just for more of this story- but to FEEL this update like that, the music and the art and the story- I seriously got repeat goosebumps throughout the entire song!
I have no words that feel appropriate- this was a truly incredible work of devotion, and as a fellow artist, I can feel the carpal tunnel from here!
Enjoy your rest, DT! ..but please come back, because I love your work and I am so desperate for more! (I am also bookmarking that song!) (:
DT Saranya
Thank you!
And don’t worry, I can already feel my drawing hand recovering today, so updates should be back to usual on Friday. 😛
Enchanted
This was really beautiful. It felt like I watched a whole movie.
I was so impressed I did Patreon for the first time. Lee up the amazing work!
mediaevumed
Bravo, what a great use of mixed media. As with others, I don’t comment much but this was an incredibly moving piece of work and reminds me of the good old days of webcomics. Its been a treat having something new to read, since I stumbled on this via reddit. Keep up the great work!
Aaron
“Amazing” doesn’t do this justice. This is a work of art on multiple levels.
This is the kind of thing where – after this comic and your work become famous – I’m going to tell people I read this ‘live’ as it came out.
Thank you for sharing this piece of beauty with us.
DT Saranya
Thank you, and haha, one can dream!
Noa Lincoln
No one does a musical accompaniment like you do DT. This was totally worth the wait and cheered me up.
THE LAYERS. A literal whole epic. Wow. I legit have no words to express my emotions reading this. Firstly, those lyrics. I- The poet community honorably bows to you. That voice is splendid, This has been stuck on repeat in my head. The art is gorgeous as always. The way the story is told is so creative and I love everything about this <3
DT Saranya
Thanks so much. <3
JamesRock7
Really beautiful. I felt immersed into this ballad. Thank you very much for such gorgeous story 😀
NexasBlack
This is F***ING INCREDIBLE!!! I love your art, and was already excited for your story, but I’ve never seen anyone do this at all, let alone so beautifully! Thank you so much for sharing your exceptional talents with us, and I can’t wait to show this to all of my friends!
Nikola
Well, that was something different. So glad I kept reading this comic.
Perish
Thank you. That was brilliant. I feel lucky to get to say I was around as this was published. I usually only find things like this way later, after all the cool people discover them.
Leareth
Outstanding! Love the song, the artwork, and the whole package. You are an amazing artist and I really look forward to the continuance of this webcomic!
Jessica J
Between the story, the lore, and the music like this… I could totally see this comic being adapted into a Netflix series! It wouldn’t be the first—Heartstopper I believe has that honor—but it’s certainly worthy of it!
Andrew Y
Really incredible work. You are an artist of many talents. Please keep up the great work and I look forward to following this story.
Elizabeth Kempton
I-
I just…
Oridell is just a guy with a godmark, not a god
This was incredible. A beautiful song crafted with impeccable drawings. Oh and a lot of lore.
I am going to try to work through this chronologically so let’s begin: Before the war, before the plague…
Clearly these are well known events which had terrible effects (“our record books are torn and vague” however this could just be from time). Also the next few lines show that actual god marks are few and far between, also possibly not documented (“tell me boy by what magic can you stand”). However this also just be hinting that there are other forms of magic in this world. The god of life has the sun motif as shown with the mark and the cut to a panel of the sun.
Chorus: “if you can breath you can win” his powers don’t stop him from damage just from death. Sounds harsh, poor Oridell.
Local legend Oridell…
“A symbol of strength far and wide” indicates the spreading of his legend, the closeness of the 2 lines possibly indicating how suddenly he came about. “Invaders landing in the north” possibly “the war” mentioned in the first line. Clearly a brutal conflict, Oridell’s side is not the one starting the conflict. His new friends worry about dying, so he has to be the hero and struggle to save them. “He still felt pain” and “his bones could break” confirms my fears about immortality actually being a bad thing. “He never let it slow” hiding his pain to keep hope in his friends. He gains many wounds in the battle but it is implied that they win.
Chorus 2: “the man who defies his own grave” implies that he actively did it, which must have ended at some point.
Love interest?!
Honoured veteran , Oridell…
“A shadow rises in the south” he has been all over this world (invaders from the north) and also I assume this would be “the plague” mentioned earlier. “PANIC spreads by word of mouth” implies that it could gain power from people being scared of it, making the battle with Oridell a battle between hope/joy and panic/sadness. “Infecting those who breathe it in” I wonder what the infection looked like, but also implies it gave off mushroom like spores. We get a second map, indicating where the plague was compared to the city. “I know why a god put this mark on my hand” something terrible happens after someone gets a godmark. “The gods have their eyes on you now” then why don’t they help more, I have ideas but no evidence for them so I am not sharing yet… “Keep drawing breath” indicating again that if he stops breathing or “defying his own grave” he could die, however that is probably wrong and he wouldn’t have known anyway. “Through the life that still flowed in his veins” + a frame of the sun, past tense implying it doesn’t anymore. “Who ever could fill your shoes” poor eggy.
I have a big question… Is the terror that comes after someone gets a godmark there to test them (placed by the gods) or just seen by the gods and they get the mark because of it?
There is evidence both ways. Also do they keep the powers after the great evil is felled?
E.K.
P.S. sorry for not posting for ages- had lots of school work + exam stress
Kallico
So I actually find it really interesting that the invaders come from the north, and the plague comes from the south. I love noticing the historical influences on storytelling, such as in this case, the Scandinavian tribes raiding northern coastal villages in Europe and the bubonic plagues spreading along eastern trade routes from the tip of southern Italy.
Even the art is reminiscent of it, the invader’s boats and the plague’s dark sickly coloring. Also the personification of the plague itself is very interesting.
SPAM
MY THOUGHT PROCESS IS THAT PERHAPS THE GODS/OTHERWORLDY BEINGS FROM SOME DIFFERENT PLANE OF EXISTANCE, CANT ACTUALLY ENTER THE WORLD, OR IF THEY DO PERHAPS THEN PEOPLE HAVE ISSUES WITH SEEING THEM OR BEING NEAR THEM, LIKE THE WALKING PLAUGE GUY, ASSUMING THEY EVEN HAVE CORPORIAL FORMS TO BEGIN WITH, ITS ENTIRELY LIKELY THEY CANT REALLY INTERACT WITH THE WORLD AT LARGE WITHOUT EXPENDING LARGE AMOUNTS OF POWER ON BESTOWING GOD MARKS TO DO SOME TASK THEY FORESEE.
bstabens
Oridell lives as long as he can breathe. So this certainly is a hint to how he can die.
And we notice how defeating the plague is the last thing that’s mentioned. Now imagine being immortal, but not invulnerable. “…infecting those who breath it in” in combination with “as long as you breathe, you live”.
This seems to become a spoiler, so be warned.
I guess Oridell got infected with the plague. He took down the blight, but got infected himself. Guess it dawned on him when he returned to the city and people kept dying everywhere he went. We don’t see the whole map, but when we do at the start, there’s a Plague Scar on the map. Maybe, a little out of the frame, there is a Oridell’s Jump marked at some shoreline..?
bstabens
…oh, and the gods have their eyes on him… because now is his real test on championship: will he do the only right thing?
eggie #1 fan
wow this made me cry such incredible & immersive storytelling, i’m so glad i happened upon this tale <3 love love love everything you have done so far the music has been beautiful, cannot wait to watch the rest of this story unfold i’m always looking forward to the next bit! thank you for sharing your art with the world it is a pleasure to consume
Jeremy
Woah! First, no need to apologize for lack of content in updating a very high quality webcomic to the masses. First got hooked from a batch of the first season pages you posted on the comics subreddit. I usually don’t comment, but this most recent update with the musical accompaniment and Eggie’s Ballad was beautiful, are you a singer??? It seems like you drew the comic, wrote the lyrics/lines, sang, and played/recorded yourself playing guitar!?!? Multi-talented!!! *Standing applause* although the internet can sometimes be a terrible place, You are spreading some awesomeness with your talented webcomic. Please keep up the good work, it is much appreciated! 😁
Brianna
Thank you! This is such a wonderful read, and the musical accompaniment is delightful.
Sparkax
Amazing work!!!! Great job!!!!!
Scot
Been a lurker here since you went viral on Reddit, while everyone’s rightfully praising the song and story I just have to say I busted out laughing at Malenes face in the panel where Ivan’s talking about what the church told him about girls
Obscurasaurus
I’m a sucker for songs that tell stories and you did an amazing job with this. This was a great way to make the lore feel impactful, and to flesh out the world in a way that is so hard to do well. I respect the tons of work you put into this, and really have enjoyed the comic so far. Thanks for sharing your beautiful work!