Looking for Group

Looking for Group
Author(s)	Ryan Sohmer and Lar deSouza
Website	http://www.lfgcomic.com
Current status/schedule	Updated every Monday, Thursday
Launch date	November 6, 2006
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 adventures 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 (the author of Least I Could Do) and Lar deSouza (the 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. The art style and the title imply that it was originally intended as a parody of World of Warcraft - the four main characters resemble four of the five Horde races in World of Warcraft - but outside of artistic similarities, the strip's plot bears no resemblance to the Warcraft setting and Sohmer has stated that it is set in an independent universe. Though the comic began as purely humorous in tone, it soon shifted to a more serious (albeit complicated) adventure, with most of the remaining comedy carried by Richard the warlock. A recurring gag in the comic features characters resembling famous fantasy characters such as Frodo Baggins, Obi Wan Kenobi and a Smurf appearing and then immediately being killed. Dialogue from The Lord of the Rings is often parodied, and pop culture references in medieval guise abound. The comic is currently updated twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays.

Characters

Cale'Anon Vatay

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Cale'Anon, the Hunter.

Cale'Anon Vatay, or Cale to his friends, is an elven hunter and central figure of the group. Virtually nothing of his life before the series has been revealed that would explain his particular personality. While his people have never been seen (at least not in "modern" times) they have been described on several occasions as notoriously evil while Cale himself is seen as noble and virtuous to the point of naivete. After an accidental meeting with the less morally upstanding Richard (and additional company) he has since personally killed one innocent (accidentally) and at least two 'protectors of the people' along with many others. He lost a measure of his innocence when he released Kethenecia from its anchor, as it required that he kill a small boy. Although seemingly a simpleton lacking in knowledge about the world, Cale has proven an excellent fighter. He is skilled with both his twin swords and archery. He has also proven fast enough to snatch a crossbow bolt out of the air and strong enough to hurl it back at the attacker with deadly accuracy and force. Cale can, when needed, be an assertive leader. As the series has progressed Cale has begun to gain more depth and grow used to Richard's gruesome sense of humor. He is fiercely loyal, breaking laws and risking death to protect his friends and allies.

In many ways Cale is very similar to AD&D hero Drizzt Do'Urden, though 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 female by others on more than one occasion. In one of the story arcs, it has been strongly suggested that Cale's troubles and trials in this story are in preparation for his becoming "King", specifically of Kethenecia.

Recently he liberated the "Sons of Exile" and led them, along with Richard, Pella, Captain Tah'vraay and Benn'Joon into battle. After missing the initial battle he led Benn'Joon and Pella to Mechastone, the mountain of Toyk and the gnomes which is being invading by the Black Dwarves. Toyk is reluctant to join with Cale and break out of Mechastone. Ray'd and the Bloodrage declared their allegiance to Cale, recognizing him as King of Kethenecia.

Sooba

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Sooba, the Panther.

Sooba is a large black feline companion of Cale's. When Sooba is summoned by name, he is able to appear at Cale's side within seconds, whether or not he was anywhere in sight (even in a panoramic view of the battlefield) prior to being called. Sooba is a powerful fighter and has a high degree of sentience. He clearly understands verbal orders and has developed a catch-phrase of sorts, as he begins some missions or fights with the internal monologue of "You think you know me..."

Ironically, Sooba has a strong liking for Richard. He has also served as a mount for Richard in at least one comic. Sooba's ability to be summoned from nowhere is a reference to both the Ranger Class's Animal Companion from Dungeons & Dragons, and the mount/pet of the Hunter class from World of Warcraft, both of which Sohmer has stated having been an avid player of. He's also an accidental reference to Guenhwyvar, a black panther owned by Drizzt Do'Urden, by default of being a parody of the Ranger's Animal Companion.

Richard

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Richard, the Undead Warlock.

An undead warlock who willfully sows destruction without any provocation whatsoever, Richard is Cale's character foil and serves as the strip's comic relief. He is depicted as manipulative, powerful, physically strong ( he is shown carrying a full grown panther, and attacking and destroying enemies without any use of his magical powers) exceedingly evil and childish. Richard is very sensitive about his less-than-threatening name and reacts aggressively to Cale's nickname for him - "Dick", although he has used it himself on occasion. His companions often react mildly to his frequently psychopathic activities. 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, Lord of the Dance, Mistress of Magma, and mayor of a little village up the coast. It was later revealed that Richard's village is populated with undead beings just as violent and physically powerful as Richard. The aforementioned village was also later revealed to be the source of Richard's power. Richard seems to be able to restore his powers by interacting with his father's corpse hidden in a secret crypt within the village. The village has since been relocated to Kethenecia. During a court trial held in an empty area Richard had been banished to by the Sisters, the judge referred to Richard's mortal self as "Lord Ashendale" and later Maikos refers to him as "Lord Mayor."

Due to being undead, Richard can sustain normally serious injuries without dying or experiencing pain. A running gag in the series, in fact, is Richard being impaled by a sharp object (usually daggers or arrows) thrown at him from off screen. He is also surprisingly lightweight, as evidenced by Cale's ability to shoot an arrow with Richard attached to it into the sky with little effort and to carry him on his back long distances. Richard may also possess a wide variety of beings using a ruby amulet. He has used this to posses Sooba the panther, Cale the elf and a stone golem.

Richard claims to be traveling with Cale out of sheer boredom and for new opportunities to kill. He used to travel with a companion, an imp named Hctib Elttil (Little Bitch if read backwards), which ran away when it grew tired of being abused. In addition to his prodigious magical power, Richard was shown to be skilled enough in hand-to-hand combat to easily take out several trolls within seconds, claiming that he gained his abilities from the drained soul of a monk, which tasted like chocolate. Richard has stated that he has been "alive" for hundreds of years. During this time he had forgotten most of his previous life, though some memories are now returning and apparently changing him.

Richard seems to have as much control over Sooba as Cale himself, if not more. Richard has "adopted" a Bunny. It is implied there may be some additional motivation within him, aside from senseless killing. The Phares, elemental spirits whom Richard channeled when saving a village, noted that they saw another presence behind the darkness, which Richard shrugged off by saying "I'm very deep." While on trial he stated that, like Cale, he was on a path he was compelled to follow and after killing most of the court he left stating that for the first time in hundreds of years he had a goal. Richard has admitted to murdering his father, as he reminisces on the first page.

Benn'Joon

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Benn'Joon, the Priestess.

Benn'Joon, or Benny for short, is a priestess that Richard and Cale meet while seeking a healer. Her exact race is unknown to most, though she has been mistaken as a troll. It was earlier stated by Rojave that she is a half-breed.

Benny was presumably born in the dungeons of Legara until being rescued by a fellow prisoner, Krunch. "Adopted" by Krunch, she was raised among the Bloodrage Clan and frequently called his "green kid" or "Gid". Later in life Benny returned to Legara to study as a priestess, where she met and fell in love with a young man named Sayl. When Sayl's father, the Thief Guild's leader Rojave, discovered their plan to leave Legara for a simple life in the country he attempted to stop them by using his authority to marry Benny himself. Sayl challenged his father for her hand but was accidentally decapitated in the fight by Rojave, who formalized his marriage to Benny as punishment to her for Sayl's death. Benny then made a deal with Temmet Aelloon to get out of Legara in exchange for her seeking out the legendary Sword of Truth. At some point, just as Benny met Cale and Richard, Aelloon's patience with her search wore out. Recently, returning to Legara once again, Benny confronted Rojave. She was initially beaten in combat and, just before being killed by him, Rojave was killed by Benny's friends. She resurrected Rojave while telling the group her story, only to immediately kill him when he was fully healed.

Benny is a talented priestess; she is able to resurrect others after death, heal both minor and serious wounds, and create powerful magical shields in combat. Benny is also a highly skilled warrior trained by the Bloodrage Clan. She usually takes a pragmatic cynical view of the world.

Her name is presumably a play on the title of the 1993 film Benny & Joon.

Krunch Bloodrage

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Krunch, the Scholar.

Krunch is the elder son of the the Bloodrage's (a tribe of minotaurs) chief. His younger brother, Ray'd Bool, is the Bloodrage's battle leader and current chief. The deceased troll warlord, Lord Stoll, inquired as to whether Krunch was "the warrior or the scholar", with Krunch later admitting to being the scholar.

Krunch had previously been captured by the Legarans and placed in their dungeons before meeting the group. It was there that he met Ben'Joon. With her in tow he escaped the dungeons and returned to his people, "adopting" Benny as his daughter. Krunch quarreled frequently with his father, a staunch believer in "empirical" expansion, and left the tribe sometime in the past for reasons unexplained (Benny cryptically stated it was because of her, but specific motivations are still unknown). They reconciled, but Krunch was still wary of his father's ambition. Although he possesses great strength and battle prowess, Krunch has shown himself to be highly intelligent judging by his obvious education and linguistic ability. In the printed version book cover he's seen reading a book while the rest of the group engage in fierce combat.

In his first appearance Krunch tackled a dragon and broke its neck. Krunch has taken a fairly neutral 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. Krunch suffers from aquaphobia and will only travel by boat or ship so long as he is thoroughly strapped to the deck. After discovering Legara's plans to invade the Northern Territories, and his own father's accidental duplicity in that (the Legarans tricked him into attacking his neighbors), Krunch worked as the chief mediator in getting the tribes back and working together to resist the Legarans.

Upon the death of his father, Krunch "went into a rage the likes of which I've never seen before", according to Ray'd's recounting - tearing apart several of the attacking Black Dwarves (Builders). For some time it was believed that Krunch, along with the other members of the "Northern Alliance", had either taken refuge in the Sister's fortress or been killed. Benny, Cale and Pella managed to rescue Ray'd from the Black Dwarves and traveled to Mechastone, where it was hoped that any survivors may have fled after the fall of Bloodrage Island. It was there that Krunch was found alive, and tearfully reunited with his adopted daughter and younger brother.

Pella

Pella of Clan Breem is a dwarven fighter from old Kethenecia as well as the youngest child and only daughter of the Commander of the Kethenecian Royal Guard. After the death of her brothers in the war against the Vullii, Pella was given the choice of which path to follow: the axe (a warrior) or the lute (a bard). After a moment of consideration, Pella decided she liked the feel of both.

Sometime later, when Cale and friends were sent to bring Kethenecia to the present, Pella was assigned to guide them to the city catacombs under the orders of the Archmage. She aided the heroes in holding off the Vullii and releasing the city from its temporal anchor, later deciding to travel with the Group to the present. Pella has since stayed with the party ostensibly as she "has nowhere else to go." Sometime later she learned that her clan, Clan Breem, had been corrupted, renamed The Black Dwarves and was serving the King of Legara as his Builders. It has since been revealed that she is actually an agent of both the Guardian and the Archmage of Kethenecia, who foresaw Cale's coming and his purpose in the city's future. Pella was secretly recruited by the Archmage to be Cale's bodyguard so she may protect Cale from his enemies, himself, and his friends. An exceptional fighter as well as an enthusiastic singer, Pella is known to sing love songs to her enemies while dismembering and/or killing them. Her fondness for violence and her dry, somewhat brutal wit earned her Richard's affection almost immediately. When Richard was banished by the Sisters, he ultimately came back by a shaman calling upon him to possess Pella's body and have his body separate from hers physically.

Presumably, Pella was the crafter of Ray'd's metal arm. This would mean that not only does she possess the expected blacksmith ability of a dwarf, but the mechanical ingenuity of a gnome.

Supporting cast

General Temmet Aelloon of the King's Legion is the first adversary the group has had to face. He wants the Sword of Truth as payment for a debt Benny owes him, and is hunting her relentlessly until she retrieves it for him. In his initial appearance, the then-Commander Aelloon was only shown to directly command a few men. Later, he was shown to have control of a number of ships, dragons, and men. Temmet has declared "I am Legara." on at least one occasion. This may be a reference to the phrase "L'État, c'est moi," which is attributed to Louis XIV of France. Even later, Aellon is promoted for "subduing the east". Judging by his comments, the Lord Commander of the army that attacked the North is Aelloon's father. Later, a group of soldiers are saying that the Commander was missing. It is possible that Aelloon may have killed him, but the speculation continues.

Chief Engineer Toyk is the gnomish leader of Mechastone and an apparent genius. He contracted the party to assassinate Lord Stoll in exchange for the location of the Sword of Truth. He later has Tim the troll deliver a message to Cale and the Bloodrage to state that the Gnomes will aid them in the battle against the Legarans. During the battle, directly after the Chief Bloodrage is assassinated, he is seen holding his arm and pronouncing "The day is lost." He was assumed dead or in the Sisters' fortress. However, it was revealed that Toyk - along with Tim and Krunch - survived the battle for Bloodrage Island and retreated to Mechastone, which came under siege by the Black Dwarves. Cale invited Toyk to flee with him to Kethenecia, but Toyk refuses, believing that it would be suicide to break through the siege.

Lord Stoll (deceased) was formerly a warlord commanding an army of trolls. Stoll attempted to capture the gnome city of Mechastone so he could take advantage of its ore supplies. His invasion failed when a gnome attack distracted his guards long enough for Krunch to assassinate him. Although his second-in-command took over, his army was still wiped out by Cale's band and the gnomes.

Styx is Lord Stoll's second in command, and is assumed to have taken control of the troll forces after Stoll was assassinated. When he captured Cale's party, he brings them to see Stoll. Whether he believed their story or was hoping they would kill Stoll so he could take command is unknown. Recently, he appeared as part of the North Alliance. He is considered killed by the Legarans in the battle of Bloodrage Island or taking refuge in the Sister's fortress.

Chief Bloodrage (deceased) was the leader of the Bloodrage tribe and father of both Ray'd and Krunch. He often added a "heh" to whatever he said. The kingdom of Legara offered him dominion over the North in exchange for weakening the defenses of his neighbors - the Sisters, the barbarian tribes, and the giants, to name a few. The truth is revealed later: The Lord Commander of the King's Legion remarked that he had hoped, by the Bloodrage softening up the other Northlanders, that the Bloodrage would "fall in line" (in other words, swear allegiance to Legara) when the Legion came in force and said that he and the Chief were "two old men with visions of conquest". The Chief's reply was that visions change, and when asked to what, he replied "Defense" - implying that the Chief had seen his error and had decided to turn on the Legarans who had used him, allying with the gnomes, the trolls, and the Sisters against the King's Legion. As he prepared for battle against the Legion, his sons helped him into his armor while he gave a monologue identical to that given by King Théoden in The Two Towers, the second Lord of the Rings film; Krunch answers "How did it come to this?" by pointing out that it was the Chief's fault because he had allied with Legara and weakened the other Northlanders (to which the Chief rewarded him with a punch to the head).

During the battle on Bloodrage Island, the Chief was killed by one of the Black Dwarves (the Builders); he told Krunch that "the Bloodrage must continue", then choked out his last breath on his habitual chuckle. Holding his dying father in his arms propelled Krunch into a fury which he started by ripping the head, spine, and arm off his father's killer with his bare hands. The Lord Commander of the Legion comments after the battle that he had "buried his oldest friend", likely referring to Chief Bloodrage.

Tim is an incredibly stupid, yet huge, troll. Tim is a former recruit of Lord Stoll's army. His mental state is attributed to "one too many mace blows to the head". He drools incessantly, because he is either perpetually hungry or simply cannot control himself. He seems to have bonded with Cale instantly, calling him his chicken and occasionally trying to eat or lick him. Cale later asks Tim to "Save the Chicken", prompting Tim to join the battle on the gnomes' side in order to save Cale. He is apparently skilled in unarmed combat, as he compensates his lack of style with brute force.[2]Upon Tim's reunion with Cale, he grabs Cale in a bear hug and licks his head. He apparently had a message for Cale, but he had eaten it. He has since continued to travel with Cale. During the battle of Bloodrage Island, Tim was seen charging into the battle with Sooba. He was presumed dead or taking refuge in the Sisters' fortress. Tim is seen to be alive and well.

Captain Tah'vraay was the Captain of "The Father's Bones," a pirate ship contracted by the party to take them to Kethenecia. She is a blue skinned elf with a long white braid of hair (which was later cut to a shorter style) and a wears clothing similar to that of a pirate. Her right eye is missing and the socket is crossed with two scars, this 'eye' allows her to see "dead people" or spirits, She and Benny appear to have formed an instant dislike for each other, though they have been seen getting along well. Tah'vraay 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. It has recently been revealed that she is the daughter of the Matron of the Sisters, a race of mage or priest-like women who reside in the area outside of Legara. After she had been captured by Aelloon and thrown into the Dungeons of Legara Cale was sent to free her as part of the deal to get The Sisters to assist the North in war with the Legarans. When Cale reached Tah'vraay she revealed to Cale that her 'capture' was deliberate on her part as a means to prepare and lead "The Sons of Exile", a separated male faction of the Sisters imprisoned in the dungeons, to reunite with and assist the latter in war. She and her army arrived too late to the battle, however. After arriving, she informs Cale she is leaving to fulfill her obligation to reunite the Sons with the Sisters. When he asks "What about the North?" she replies that it is done while shedding a tear.

Ray'd Bool Bloodrage is Krunch's brother, regarded as the warrior to Krunch's scholar. He is the war leader of the Bloodrage tribe, and is firmly loyal to his father the chief. Under the chief's orders, Rayd's warbands have provoked multiple other parties in the northern region. His name is a clear reference to the energy drink Red Bull, a beverage which Sohmer, the write of LFG, repeatedly expresses affection for in his blog posts. After Ray'd knocks off a giant's leg, as the giant falls, Benny says "Ray'd Bool gives you wings", which is also an obvious reference to the well-known Red Bull slogan "Red Bull gives you wings." This namesake is further expressed by the two wing-like markings on Ray'd's back. He was recently found grievously injured and has lost an arm due to wounds. Although Benny could heal most of his wounds, his arm was already to far gone for her to re-attach it. His missing arm has since been replaced with a metal one. After his father's death, Ray'd became the chieftain of the Bloodrage. At Krunch's urging, in order to give his people a sense of purpose, Ray'd declared his allegiance to Cale as King of Kethenecia.

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 the future 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, its people be slaughtered, and because it was prophesied. 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, 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 child, and the Archmage's order translated into killing the boy. It was later revealed, afte Cale had 'killed' the boy and left, that the young boy was actually the Archmage himself in a magical disguise. The Archmage later traveled forward to the present date, witnessing what he sees as a new age for Kethenecia. It has recently been revealed that the Archmage is actually Richard's rabbit in disguise. He mentions that the war of the North was not supposed to happen. Richard stated that the Archmage looked "familiar" when first encountering him. This could mean that Richard's origins go as far back as Kethenecia. It has been revealed that Richard may alread know (and perhaps has known all along) that his rabbit is the Archmage.

The Guardians of Eight are the guardians of the catacombs under the city of Kethenecia. Eight man-sized, wingless dragons of old which were revealed in Krunch's story as 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. They have been seen as working with the Archmage.

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 Kethenecia wastelands, floating in another dimension), Tavor reappeared and explaining that his duty to protect the Princess and his oath to avenge Gamlon had not ended 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 much understanding between him and Krunch, and Tavor even seemed to respect Richard. However, upon arriving in Kethenecia in the past of 3,000 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 (after Tavor said "Not a soul among you can stop me," prompting Richard's, "No one puts Richard in a corner!") and taken away by the Kethencian homeguard.

Tavor later returned 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 was leading an attack force of Vulii soldiers). He apparently also slaughtered all the eight draconic guardians of the labyrinth, because the dragon leader wielded the Sword of Truth. Tavor drops the severed head of a the dragon leader before he confronts Cale. Tavor's anger is exclusively directed against Cale, however, his words suggested that he views Cale as the traitor against Gamlon for going along with the Archmage's plan to "loosen the anchor," shifting the city into another dimension and setting it adrift for 3000 years. Tavor intends that the corrupt city of Kethenecia shall stay in his time and fall forever, its name forgotten, and its inhabitants pay for generations for their leader's crime of betraying Gamlon. Cale, seeing that this could mean there was still hope in saving Kethenecia, killed the child who served as the anchor, before Tavor could kill him, and shifted Kethenecia forward. Tavor did not accompany the city in the shift and his fate is currently unknown.

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 whisked 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 blood.

The Keeper of The Way is a creature strongly resembling Dungeons & Dragons' beholder- a grotesque floating head with one central eye and many separate eyes on stalks that protrude from many places on its body. 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 is 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 time line. Their exact agenda is unknown, but it seems to involve Cale becoming a king.

Lord Hctib Elttil, a small red imp who formerly served the position of Richard's familiar. He wears white gloves and red pants, similar to earlier styles of Mickey Mouse. When excited about something, Hctib will often exclaim "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" and usually speaks without using spaces in his sentences. Hctib appears to be unaware of the significance of his name, something that his followers did not have the heart to tell him about. Richard's recollection of him includes his referring to him as 'traitorous', and admitting that he had chosen the Imp's name as he was looking for something that "would define what his role in our partnership would be", though when re-encountered, Richard shows a fondness towards Hctib similar to a long lost pet or favorite toy. Hctib was once 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 was to make Richard "know what I endured." It seems one of the only reasons his forces followed him is because of his great dental insurance for employees. Hctib's plan for revenge led him to use a magical talisman to shrink Richard down to the size of a child, which is about the same size as Hctib himself. Hctib's plan was foiled when the curse was broken by Richard committing an act of selflessness (protecting a child from death), regaining his size and powers as well as dismissing Hctib back to the Demonic Plane. His last words were "can't we all just get along?" a phrase uttered by the Warlock's imp minion in World of Warcraft when ordered to attack; an obvious reference to the popular MMORPG. Hctib seems not to notice that his name is "Little Bitch" spelled backwards, and is referred to many times.

It appears that Hctib survived his banishment (another reference to World of Warcraft, as a warlock's minion is never destroyed, but returns to the demon plane). In an ironic twist, Hctib was selected to be Richard's legal counsel in page 150, during the latter's trial in the "Plane of Suck." When Richard inevitably slaughtered the demons present at his trial, he leaves Hctib alive, despite how Hctib went out of his way to have Richard declared guilty. Hctib apparently heard Richard's confession to the judge and still seems to be in the "Plane of Suck."

Bunny: When Richard was shrunk by Hctib's amulet, the rest of the party gave him a rabbit mount as a joke. In the next strip Richard was seen riding the bunny into battle, and the party seems to have adopted it as a pet. Richard has also taken a liking to the bunny, carrying it and treating it as a loved pet. This feeling appears to be reciprocated by the rabbit in comic 147 as it is seen shedding a tear when Richard was banished. Also, when reunited in comic 173, both show affection by leaping into each other's arms. The bunny has been seen transforming into the Archmage, apparently meaning that the bunny is actually the Archmage in disguise. When the bunny returned from his transformation as the Archmage, Richard is seemingly oblivious to this and is seen hugging it after worrying about its earlier absence. However, Richard later reveals he has known about the rabbit's true identity for a long time and offers the services of his undead village as an army to protect Kethenecia. According to page 169, there is a possibility the bunny is the master of The Sisters (thus meaning that the Archmage and the Beholder control the sisters).

Maikos is a villager from the "little village up the coast" ruled by Richard. When asked why Richard must go to the village, Maikos reveals that it is the source of Richard's power; Richard tries to cover this up by saying that "I pushed his mother off a tower" (which Maikos, held on the ground by Richard's foot, replies "That too"). Journeying to the village to find it beset by the Legion and by missionaries trying to "save" the townsfolk, Richard says to Maikos "this is no time for masks" - at which point, Maikos and the other villagers reveal themselves to be undead. As a sidenote, the undead villagers seem to possess potent restorative abilities, shown when one man gets his arm severed and reattaches it, and when another does the same with his head. Although odd, seeing as Richard and Maikos seem to require the services of healers to restore their wounds and reattach severed limbs, it could be because they live closer to the Source of Richards powers. this, however has nor been confirmed.

Awards

1. On June 14, 2008, the comic was awarded the Joe Shuster Award for Outstanding Canadian Web Comics Creators for both Looking for Group and Least I Could Do. Lar DeSouza accepted the award on behalf of himself and Ryan Sohmer.
2. One August 9, 2009, the artist, Lar de Souza, was awarded the Prix Aurora Award for Artistic Achievement for Looking for Group.

Film

On August 6, 2007 Ryan Sohmer posted a video link in his blogs on the homepage of Looking For Group. 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 slaughtering an entire village. It is revealed at the end and in the blog that the video is actually a trailer for "a full 75-90 minute feature film." The film, currently under the working title of "Looking For Group: The Origins of Dick" and has "a target release of late 2009." However, there is currently little more information about the movie. On March 2 of 2008, Sohmer announced that they might be coming out with a video game.

The video was the most watched one in YouTube for many days after its initial release and has altogether been watched over four million times. Within days, the video had become so popular that fans made numerous requests to be able to purchase the song. On August 19, it was announced on the LFG Forum that a mp3 download version of the Slaughter Your World would be available for a small fee.

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".

References

All comic page numbers for LFG reference the pages as presented on the website. The pages in the print issues are unnumbered.

External links

• Looking for Group