Valiant heroes of the North
Crimson Knights is a High Fantasy webcomic that started publishing on Smack Jeeves in November of 2019, before moving to ComicFury in December 2019. It was completed on December 30th, 2022.
In the northern kingdom of Lecia, a group of werewolves attacks the village of Grimwick. Only two siblings, Judoch and Wilburg, manage to escape as their father Culwech holds the wolves off. The following day they're saved from ghouls by two Crimson Knights, warriors of the Order of the Black Rose, a knighthood which protect the Northern Realms from monsters and evil sorcerers. Homeless and without purpose, Judoch joins the Order and befriends the other new recuits Nevio, Itham and Erikr. But as war and destruction realms over the horizon, the future of the whole North hangs by a thread...
The comic can be read here
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Crimson Knights provides examples of:
- Action Girl: Both Farryn and Erikr are women and Crimson Knights.
- All Your Base Are Belong to Us: Cralesian army attacks and sacks Brennus Cliff in chapter 6 after Geron refuses to let king Friduheim use it as a base for his campaign in Aleovohan.
- Animal Eyes: All members of the Brotherhood of the Snake have their eyes turn green snake-eyes when they channel the archdemons' magic.
- The Atoner: Whatever it exactly was, Mot is clearly haunted by something he did in his past and joined the Order of the Black Rose to clear his conscience.
- Badass Cape: Hunters of Lecia have these. Erikr, Itham, Nevio and Mot also acquire ones after they're forced to flee to the north following Brennus Cliff's destruction.
- Battle Couple: Erikr and Judoch become this in chapter 7.
- Beam-O-War: Cecilia and Arawn's Wizard Duel in chapter 3 consists of them throwing magic bolts at each other creating a cacophony of blue and purple in the process.
- Big Brother Instinct: Judoch is willing to go through hell to keep Wilburg safe.
- Big Damn Heroes:
- When a bunch of ghouls have cornered Judoch and Wilburg near a swamp, Sir Huldric and Dame Farryn storm in and cut them down.
- As Judoch is being cornered by the three kiiras, Erikr and Itham charge in and quickly even the odds in the Knights' favor.
- Cheerful Child: Wilburg is quite happy even when things are going quite bad around her, such as when she is forced to travel miles on foot alongside the Crimson Knights.
- Citadel City: Frothwater, being located on an island in the middle of a river and protected by large walls.
- The Coats Are Off: When Erikr and Itham prepare to face the creature Ajattara, they both quietly drop their cloaks before unsheathing their weapons.
- Color-Coded Wizardry: People with magical abilities have their powers shine in a certain personal color, such as purple or blue. Members of the Brotherhood of the Snake, however, have their demon-channeling magic manifest exclusively in light green.
- Creepy Crows: The Evil Sorcerer Azalea has a magical raven that protects her from Farryn's second sight and who she can sic against enemies.
- Curb-Stomp Battle:
- Once Itham and Erikr rush into Judoch's aid when he's been cornered by the kiiras, the heroes defeat the monsters with ease.
- Sir Mot completely destroys the warlock Tylick without problems when he corners him in the abandoned cabin. The sheriff has to actually restain him.
- When staying at a tavern with a bunch of hunters a waitress challenges Erikr to a drinking contest unaware that Crimson Knights Super-Soldier-abilities include immunity to intoxication. She manages to last until twelve pints before passing out.
- Dance of Romance: Judoch shares a romantic waltz with Erikr while they participate in the Silea's celebration at the palace of queen Olda.
- Doomed Hometown: The story starts with Judoch and Wilburg's village being destroyed by werewolves, forcing them to flee into the night.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Sir Lathai appears a couple of times in the early chapters, before being properly introduced in Chapter 18.
- The Empire: The Soburgian Empire, located south of the Northern Kingdoms and currently in the midst of a bitter civil war.
- Evil Sorcerer: The Brotherhood of the Snake is an entire secret society of these. Also, fighting Black Magic users is the second part of Crimson Knights' profession alongside monster-slaying.
- Fan Disservice: The first time the comic has nudity it is in the form of the extremely unsexy Ajattara, which is an undead witch monster.
- Fantastic Racism: Fairies are not respected at all by men in the Northener society.
- Fantastic Slur: Fairies are sometimes referred to as "cone-ears".
- Father to His Men: Once he becomes Grandmaster, Mot becomes very caring of his warriors, going so far as to fly into a massive rant about Itham's values when he is insulted by his step-mother.
- The Ghost: King Friduheim, the ruler of Crales, never physically appears despite his actions affecting the story quite heavily.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: Averted with Grandmaster Meinrad, who has a nasty scar going over his blind left eye but is the heroic leader of the Taneoan Order. Played straight with the cheek-scar that Erikr receives from a rage-spirit.
- Great Off Screen War: Besides the attack on Brennus Cliff, the war between Crales and Aleovohan happens entirely off-panel. The war in the South in the Soburgian Empire (implied to be much grander in scope) is also completely unseen.
- Heroic Bastard: Itham was born out of wedlock, which along with the fact that her mother was a fairy made him an outcast among his family and the gnomes.
- Heroic Sacrifice:
- Judoch and Wilburg's father Culwech holds off the werewolves while his children escape.
- Geron, Huldric and other knights hold off the Cralesian forces just long enough that most of their forces can escape through the catacombs.
- The High Queen: Queen Olda is the current monarch of Lecia, and is by all accounts much-concerned with the well-being of her people, even wishing to restaurate the Lecian branch of the Order of the Black Rose.
- Insult Backfire: At one point during Erikr's and Itham's sparring, this exchange occurs:Erikr: What's the matter Itham? Too afraid to hit a woman?Itham: Maybe, but why would you be a problem then?
- I Kiss Your Hand: When formally presenting himself to queen Olda at her ball, Nevio kisses her hand softly as an introduction.
- King Incognito: Farryn is the daughter of Filloro, the Grand-Prince of Vusea.
- Knight in Shining Armor: Crimson Knights are a cross between this and Hunter of Monsters, being an Order of knights tasked to kill monsters and apprehend misusers of magic.
- Last Stand: Huldric, Geron and a bunch of other knights hold of the Cralesian forces buying time while most of their forces escape through the catacombs of the castle.
- Mentor Archetype: Huldric becomes this to Judoch when he takes him as his ward into the Order of the Black Rose.
- Mysterious Past: We know very little about why Mot joined the order, only that it involved something terrible that he must atone for.
- Nonhuman Humanoid Hybrid: Itham is a half-gnome, half-fairy.
- Our Elves Are Different: They're called fairies, and they have slightly larger ears than your usual standard.
- Oh, Crap!: The knights have a collective one when one of the cannons of the Cralesian army opens fire on Brennus Cliff.
- Parental Favoritism: Nevio was perfectly aware that his elder brother was their father's favorite and the primary heir, and as a result left Natish at the first opportunity to find his own life.
- Practically Different Generations: Judoch is roughly twenty years old at the start of the story, while Wilburg is just five.
- Purple Is Powerful: Queen Olda's royal guard all wear purple cloaks which makes them stand out from the other soldiers.
- Rank Up:
- Geron promotes Sir Mot into Grandmaster of the Aleovohanian Order as the Cralesian army is sieging Brennus Cliff.
- After being granted the Lecian Grandmastership by queen Olda and already being the Grandmaster of Aleovohan, Mot abdicates the latter and promotes Farryn as the new leader of Aleovohanian Order.
- Redhead In Green: Judoch is the readheaded hero, and likes to wear his father's old green cloak as much as he can.
- Relationship Upgrade: In the arftermath of Brennus Cliff's fall, Erikr accidentally confesses that she loves Judoch, who reciprocates her feelings.
- Religious Bruiser: Even after becoming a Crimson Knight Judoch remains a very devout follower of the Yddar, occasionally praying them for guidance.
- The Runaway: Erikr eventually confesses to Judoch that she's one, having run away from her clan to escape an Arranged Marriage that was to strengthen a peace treaty with another clan.
- Shout-Out: Chapter 19 is called "Imaginations from the Other Side".
- Silent Scenery Panel: Often used in order to establish the scenery.
- Straight Gay: At the Silea's Eve's celebration Itham nonchalantly tells a palace-maid that she's not his type when she tries to get him to dance at the ball.
- Super-Soldier: All full members of the Order of the Black Rose have enhanced strength, speed and stamina that they receive from a magic ritual at the end of their training.
- Time Skip: Two years pass between chapters 3 and 4. There are also several smaller ones between other chapters.
- Token Non-Human: Out of the four main characters, Itham is the only one who isn't human, being an earthfair.
- Tome of Eldritch Lore: Yu Zi Uwuud is an old grimoire filled with dark magic spells and rituals. Only a few remaining copies of the book are known to exist, all centuries old.
- True Companions: Judoch, Erikr, Nevio and Itham grow into this over the course of the story.
- Wizarding School: Frothwater has a Mage Academy, which also has several artifacts that strengthen and weaken magic spells.
