Looking for Group

Looking for Group
Legend of the Karat Diamond LFG Cast (minus Pella), red eyed Bunnies and a killer rabbit
Author(s)	Ryan Sohmer & Lar deSouza
Website	http://www.lfgcomic.com
Current status/schedule	Monday, Thursday
Launch date	November 6 2006 [1]
End date	Still in Progress
Genre(s)	Fantasy, humor

Looking for Group is a fantasy-themed webcomic written by Ryan Sohmer and drawn by Lar DeSouza. The Comic follows the quest of Cale'Anon (an elven hunter) and Richard (an undead warlock), as well as their companions. Since its launch on November 26, 2006, it has received positive attention at Stratics and the World of Warcraft community.

Overview

Looking for Group's Ryan Sohmer and Lar deSouza (the author and artist of Least I Could Do) draw the themes of Looking for Group from many influences, such as Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series, Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series, George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire (with several acknowledged news posts of this), and Blizzard Entertainment's popular MMORPG video game World of Warcraft. It is currently updated twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays.

Characters

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Cale'Anon, the Hunter.

Cale'Anon

Cale'Anon is an elven hunter who struggles against the stereotypes of his fellow cruel elves - he wants to be a kind, law-abiding and valiant defender of the oppressed. Many feel that he is a Blood Elf from the popular Blizzard game, World of Warcraft, but the authors of this webcomic have made it very clear that this comic draws on influences from other sources and is not a World of Warcraft comic. His name is usually shortened to "Cale" by others. In LFG's first strip, Cale meets Richard, who tries to convince him that his race is, as a rule, evil, and henceforth Cale is, too. Cale refutes Richard's assertions, saying "I will be good and pure of heart. A lone and righteous wolf in a desolate and uncaring land. A protector of the people.", similar to the nature of Drizzt Do'Urden from R. A. Salvatore's Dark Elf series. After an accidental meeting with the less morally upstanding Richard (and additional company) he has since personally killed one innocent (accidentally, with a little help from Richard) and at least two 'protectors of the people'. He lost a measure of his innocence when he released Kethencia from it's anchor, since it required that he kill a small boy. He also appears to have the ability to speak and see after being burned to ashes. Although a seeming simpleton lacking in knowledge about the world, Cale has proven a surprisingly excellent fighter, skilled with both his twin swords and archery (a trait which is also reminiscent of Drizzt Do'Urden). He is fiercely loyal, breaking laws and risking death to protect his friends. Ryan Sohmer has stated that when Cale was created, he did not know who Drizzt Do'Urden was, and the parody was unintentional. Cale has also been referred to as a girl by both Richard and Benny at least once. In a recent comic, it has been strongly suggested that Cale's troubles and trials in this story are in preparation for his becoming 'King'.

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Sooba, the Panther.

Sooba

Sooba is a large black feline companion of Cale's, similar to Guenhwyvar, Drizzt's panther companion. However, unlike Guenhwyvar, Sooba is not a creature of magic (as he has no trouble maiming a group of shamans who claim that "No being of magic can harm us". Since they were able to successfully subdue both Richard and Benny, they presumably were telling the truth). Sooba is very helpful in a fight, although he occasionally attacks Cale instead of the enemies, and as an added sample of irony, Sooba has a strong liking for Richard as he is frequently seen guarding a hibernating Richard or coming to Richard's aid when called. He has also served as a mount for Richard in at least one comic. Richard has apparently reciprocated in this regard, even cleaning up after the feline. Interestingly, however, Sooba, when summoned by name, is able to appear at the fray within seconds, whether or not he was anywhere in sight (even in a panoramic view of the battlefield) prior to being called. It is unclear if Sooba is a mere animal or a lot more intelligent, but the cat clearly understands verbal orders.

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Richard, the Warlock.

Richard

An undead Warlock who needs only the slightest provocation to sow destruction, Richard is the most blatantly evil person one could ever hope to meet. He excels at manipulating others, and is oversensitive about his less-than-threatening name - when Cale called him "Dick" he blasted him into a pile of ash. He has a vast command of the black arts; a wicked sense of humor; and a troubled history with orphanages, claiming that the orphanage attacked him first and that he only destroyed it in self-defense. He also claims to have murdered his father. His titles include Chief Warlock of the Brothers of Darkness, Lord of the Thirteen Hells, Master of the Bones, Emperor of the Black, Lord of the Undead, and mayor of a little village up the coast which he describes as "quite scenic in spring". It is possible that the majority of these titles are not actual; as Richard describes them as being acquired by kill quota. Such titles may simply be Richard's way of keeping score. He also seems to have a certain contempt for authority. Due to the fact that he is undead Richard can sustain and even shrug off severe injuries, such as fireball through the stomach, a dagger to the heart, or axe between the eyes. Richard claims to be traveling with Cale out of sheer boredom, and because watching Cale perform evil acts and agonize over them delights the warlock. He apparently used to have a companion, an imp named Hctib Elttil (Little Bitch spelled backwards, which, as Richard claims, described its place in their relationship), but it ran away to find a way to seek revenge. He was revealed to have advanced hand-to-hand fighting skills as well, easily taking out several trolls within seconds. At this same time, Richard claimed to have once drained the soul of a monk, saying it 'tasted like chocolate'.

Richard seems to have as much (if not more) control over Cale's companion pet, the panther Sooba, as Cale himself does, even going so far as being able to summon the cat to his side in battle. Richard falls into a catatonic state after overly strenuous battles. This form of hibernation is apparently designed to help him recuperate, but he still manages to kill things in his sleep. He enjoys killing dragons in inventive ways. For example, he turned a dragon of the Legion into ice, which fell and smashed to pieces (this prompted Richard to quip "It's a pity we don't have more time. It's fun trying to put them back together again), and turning a sand dragon into glass and saying, "Look what I made!". Though it would seem that Richard's only goal in life is to sow death and destruction wherever he goes, (after finding the lost city of Kethenecia, after all the other characters have explained their various motives behind their quest, he simply states "I" "LIKE" "TO" "KILL" "THINGS". "How is that not clear by now?") the warlock's true motives are known only to him. At various points in the story, Richard has uttered his signature battlecry, "For Pony!". The reasons behind such an unusual dedication are, as yet, unexplained. According to Richard, the meaning of life is "bucket".

Richard picked up a fork along the way, and in an attempt to mock Benny's search for the "Sword of Truth", he called it his "Fork of Truth". (later upgrading it to the "Handfork of Truth" when he temporarily lost a hand and replaced it with the fork, pirate-hook style). Although he has no need for waepons, Richard carries an assortment of magical weapons of dubious quality. These include the Sword of 77% probability, the Sword of Maybe, Maybe Not, the Sword of Mostly Falsehoods and, even less magical than all others, the Stick of Lies. He also carries a pillaging shovel. After returning to the normal time period, he re-encounters Hctib Elttil, who gets his revenge against Richard by placing a magical necklace on him that shrunk him to the size of an infant. He has subsequently been reduced to using a rabbit as a mount. He also seems to have a taste for babies, although this could simply be a twisted joke. However, after being shrunk he was mistakenly placed in a nursery with many other infants. He later was removed amid a crowd of greiving mothers and appeared to be under the impression that the nursery was a buffet. Being small, despite the increased ease of baby-eating, appeared to depress Richard, so much so that he resorted to praying to the gods in order to regain his size. Whether his subsequent regrowth was due to his honest admittance (of the fact that without his power, he is nothing) or simply a deus ex machina is unknown.

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Benn'Joon, the Priestess.

Benny

Benn'Joon, or Benny for short, is a priestess Richard and Cale meet while seeking a healer. She has a penchant for violence and can handle herself in a fight, and appears to have turned mercenary to get out of money trouble. There have been several debates about Benny's race, as she bears the typical body traits, large lower teeth and green skin of a troll that are similar to the Amani trolls of the Warcraft universe. Her race appears to be unknown not only to readers, but also to the other cast members, as evidenced in chapter 63, when Richard described her as a "female of unknown pedigree" after Tavor asked her about her species. Krunch practically raised her, and frequently called her his "green kid", which he has now shortened to the nickname "Gid". Benny is currently being chased after by Commander Tenmet Aelloon, and for an unnamed reason, he will halt his pursuit in exchange for a mythical relic known as the Sword of Truth.

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Krunch, the Scholar.

Krunch Bloodrage

Little is known about this muscle-bound minotaur-like creature (possibly a Tauren warrior equivalent) except that he raised Benny up when she was a kid and is incredibly strong; in his first appearance, he tackled a dragon and broke its neck, prompting Richard to crack "Bad news, Cale. I'm afraid that your position as my closest and dearest friend is being replaced by the fellow who just tackled a dragon." Krunch has taken a side in the "good/evil" debate that is, essentially, Cale and Richard's relationship. While Cale believes strongly in good and Richard equally strongly in evil, Krunch believes that people do what they must to survive- and everything is, in essence, relative. Due to his secular nature and the fact that he is generally able to give logical reasoning to his beliefs, Cale often looks to him for truth and advice. On the other hand, he seems to have no real qualms about the indiscriminately violent intentions and methods of Richard, as they have been able to work together easily. He takes on the role of protector to Benny and calls her his "green kid", now shortened to "Gid." He appears to have a great fear of water.

Krunch's family connections have only been hinted at in the story. His father appears to have once been an ally of the troll warlord Stoll and a staunch believer in "empirical" expansion. Krunch doesn't seem to appreciate his father's views as he kills Stoll in order to stop an invasion. It is hinted that Krunch has a brother, with Stoll describing the pair as "a scholar and a warrior". Krunch doesn't admit to being one or the other. However, he appears to be the scholar, judging by his literary skills in some of the comics, the fact that he refers to himself as a scholar in comic 60, and that in the printed version book cover he's seen reading a book while the rest of the group engage in fierce combat. It is even possible that he is both, rather than having a brother.

Pella of Clan Breem is a dwarven inhabitant of Kethenecia that guided the party to the catacombs under the orders of the city's Archmage. She has been shown to be an exceptional fighter as well as a singer, so is assumed to be a Bard. Richard has formed an instant liking to her, chiefly because she counters all of his witticisms with violence against him (which he simply laughs at, due to his undead nature). It is possible she is the daughter of the dwarven general of Ketheneica's home guard, as he is implied to have a daughter. She has since stayed with the party as "she has nowhere else to go."

Supporting Cast

Commander Temmet Aelloon of the King's Legion is the first adversary the band of adventurers has had to face. He wants the Sword of Truth as payment for some debt Benny owes him, and is hunting Benny relentlessly until she retrieves it for him.

Lord Hctib Elttil, a small red imp who formerly served the position of Richard's Familiar. Richard's recollection of him includes his referring to him as 'traitorous', and admitting that he had chosen the Imp's name (A Reversal of the Phrase "Little Bitch"), as "I was looking for something that would define what his role in our Partnership would be", though when re-encountered, shows a fondness towards Hctib similar to a pet. Most recently, Hctib has risen as the leader of a reluctant army of Goblin-like Warriors,Demons and Elementals, assembled so as to take his vengeance upon Richard and claim a kingdom of his own; the imp's intent is to make Richard "Know What I Endured". It seems one of the only reasons they follow him is because of his great dental insurance for employees. Hctib's plan for revenge leads him to use a magical necklace to shrink Richard down to the size of a child, which is about the same size as Hctib himself. For some reason, he seems to have gloves and pants in the style of Mickey Mouse. When excited about something, Hctib will often exclaim "eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!", assuming in the style of Mini-me of Austin Powers. He appears to be unaware of the significance of his name, something that his followers are embarrassed by.

Dragons of the Legion are the cavalry of the King's Legion. They fly, spit fire, and smash nicely when turned to ice.

Lord Stoll was formerly a warlord commanding an army of very intelligent trolls. Stoll formerly tried to capture the gnome city of Mechastone so he could use its ore supplies. His invasion failed when a gnome attack distracted his guards long enough for Krunch to kill him. Although his second-in-command took over, his army was still wiped out by Cale's band and the Gnomes.

Styx is Stoll's second in command, and is assumed to have taken control of the troll forces after Stoll is assassinated. When he captures Cale's party, he brings them to see Stoll. Whether he believed their story or was hoping they would kill Stoll so that he could take command is unknown. He is assumed to be killed in the Troll-Gnome battle.

Tim is an incredibly stupid yet huge troll of Stoll's army. His mental state is attributed to "too many mace blows to the head". He seems to have bonded with Cale instantly, calling him his chicken. Cale later asks Tim to "Save the Chicken", prompting Tim to join the battle on the Gnome's side in order to save Cale.

Chief Engineer Toyk is the gnomish leader of Mechastone and an apparent genius. He contracts the party to assassinate Stoll in exchange for the location of the Sword of Truth.

Leena/The Shriek was a young princess of the long gone elven kingdom of Gamlon. During an attack on her homeland by an empire of evil elves known as the Vulii, her entire people were slaughtered and she was wisked away to magical catacombs where her spirit was preserved, becoming the Shriek. She is the only creature who knows the exact location of Kethenecia and the Sword of Truth. She transports Cale back in time to witness her father's and her own death. While back in time, Cale acquires two swords, belonging to Tavor, which show the map to Kethenecia when coated in Vulii blood.

Tavor was an elven knight of Gamlon and owner of the twin swords which show the map to Kethenecia. He was the first person Cale encountered during his trip back in time, and the two became fast friends. As Gamlon fell, Tavor displayed his dedication to duty, as well as his sense of personal honor. He was tasked by his king to "Bathe [his] blades in blood and avenge [his people] in Kethenecia." because the powerful nation of Kethenecia, ally of Gamlon and self-proclaimed beacon of justice, had refused to come to their aid. His final act in life was to shield Princess Leena from enemy arrows, using his own body. As he lay dying, he entrusted his swords to Cale. Tavor himself implied that the king of Gamlon was his father, and princess Leena his little sister.

Later, when Cale and the rest of the group reached present-day Kethenecia (a desert-mirage in the Kethen wastelands, floating in another dimension), Tavor reappeared, explaining that his duty to protect the Princess and his oath to avenge Gamlon had not ended simply with his death. He joined the group in hopes that he may finally complete his task. For a time, Tavor got along with the rest of the group almost as well as he got along with Cale. There seemed to be a lot of understanding between him and Krunch, and Tavor even seemed to respect Richard. However, upon arriving in Kethenecia in the past of 3000 years ago, Tavor was so angered at the city's Archmage for allowing the destruction of Gamlon that he drew his swords and prepared to slice the old man's throat. He was stopped in this effort by Richard who froze him solid in a large chunk of ice and taken away by Kethenecia home guards.

Tavor later returns with the Sword of Truth in hand, in a state of merciless rage, to attack the group in the catacombs under the city, having apparently betrayed them to the enemy alliance, because he is leading an attack force of human and Vulii soldiers. He apparently also slaughtered all the eight dragon guardians of the labyrinth, because the dragon leader wielded the Sword of Truth beforehand, and Tavor drops the cut-off head of a dragon guardian as he confronts Cale. Tavor's anger is exclusively directed against Cale however, his words suggesting that he views Cale as the traitor against Gamlon for going along with the Kethenecian archmage's plan to "loosen the anchor" and to shift the city into another dimension and set it adrift for 3000 years. Tavor intends that the corrupt city of Kethenecia shall stay material and fall forever, its name forgotten, and its inhabitants shall pay for generations for their leader's crime of betraying Gamlon. As even the dragon guardians had originally wanted the city to fall, because, as they told Cale, Kethenecia had become corrupted and was no longer a beacon of truth and justice and even if restored its ideals might not be able to heal the corrupt future Cale came from, maybe Tavor had a point. But for Cale, this meant the end of hope.

Captain Tah'vraay is the captain of "The Father's Bones," a pirate ship contracted by the party to take them to Kethenecia. She is a dark-skinned elf (possibly a drow or Night elf Highborne equivalent) with a long white braid of hair and a swashbuckler style of clothing. Her left eye is blood-red and crossed with two scars, though it is not known if this impairs her vision. She and Benny appear to have formed an instant dislike for each other. She claims to have burned the granaries of the King, which has incurred the pursuit of the Legion. She had some kind of non-aggression arrangement with Commander Aelloon, but the latest attack by the Legion on her ship was merely to get to Benny and her friends.

The Guardians of Eight are the guardians of the catacombs under the city of Kethenecia. Eight man-sized wingless dragons, they resemble the dragons of old in Krunch's story, the ones who originally bred mankind from cavemen, and dreamed of flying. The guardians may be thousands of years old, as their leader says "For too long did we attempt to shape the land around us into a force of righteousness and purity. Kethenecia was to be a beacon of Justice. Instead it is a farce." The guardian leader, who carries the Sword of Truth, believes they have failed, and wants the experiment to end.

The Archmage of Kethenecia is an old man, and a seer. Of questionable morals, he intended the city of Kethenecia to survive the millennia by shifting it into another dimension when the final attack of an alliance of many races was at Kethenecia's gates. By the man's own words he cared nothing about the survival of Kethenecia's citizens, because he had already foreseen that the nation would fall, the city would burn and its people be slaughtered, and because it was prophesied, so it must be. He ordered the general of the Kethenecian homeguard to have his men slaughter all foreign soldiers and mercenaries in a surprise attack, as he was certain that the foreign parts of the Kethenecian army would turn against the homeguard and ally themselves with the advancing enemy army anyway, because many of the foreign soldiers came from countries that had been conquered by the Vulii and their allies in the interim. The archmage gave Cale the task to go down to the catacombs and "loosen the anchor"... unfortunately, as Cale found out, the "anchor" was in the form of a small boy child, and the archmage's order translated into killing the boy. It was revealed that the young boy was actually the archmage himself in a magical disguise. Richard called the archmage familiar, as well as the fact they are similer in appearance, suggest that Richard's origins reach as far back as Kethenecia, some fan rumours believe that it is possible, due to Richard's reputation for under-statement, that the Archmage may actually be Richard's past self.

The Keeper of The Way is a creature resembling a grotesque floating head with one central eye and and many separate eyes on stalks that protrude from many places on its body(obviously inspired by the Beholder from Dungeons and Dragons). It appears to guard time itself, saying that it was "tasked with ensuring that continuity is preserved". Benny observes that the keeper may be insane, and this is evidenced by its repeated "thus it was written, thus it shall be" and it staring at a wall for no apparent reason. It is revealed that the keeper, along with the archmage, is using the main characters as pawns in an effort to change the timeline. Their exact agenda is unknown, but it seems to involves Cale becoming a king.

Major Events

On Monday, 06 August 2007, at 10:59pm, Ryan Sohmer posted a video link in his blogs on the main pages of Looking For Group and its sister comic, Least I Could Do. The video, entitled "Slaughter your World," features Richard, voiced by Dave B. Mitchell, singing a parodied version of the song "Part of Your World" from Disney's The Little Mermaid. The video shows Richard murdering an entire village. It is revealed at the end and in the blog that the latest (and longest) Looking For Group video is actually a trailer for "a full 75-85 minute feature film." The film, currently under the working title of "The Origins of Dick" has "a target release of late 2008."

The video was the most watched one in YouTube for many days after its initial release and has altogether been watched over one and a half million times.

A limited edition collectible figurine of Richard was released for sale on 15 November 2007. The figurine was limited to 500 pre-orders, and sold out within 24 hours. The webmaster described the event as "--an eventful full day filled of near server explosions".

See also

• Least I Could Do

External Links

• Looking for Group
• Looking for Group Forum
• Dave Mitchell's MySpace - voice actor for Richard.