Grrl Power #1086 – Befuddle a beholder
There’s definitely some wires crossed in Sydney’s brain, right?
So yeah. Cthillia is an anthropomorphic beholder of some flavor. That’s “beholder” not “Beholder(C)” because Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast/D&D owns the copyright on “Beholders(C).” I thought they also held the copyright on Drow, but I looked it up but couldn’t find anything to back that up. Not sure about Lolth. They’ve definitely (C)ed Carrion Crawlers, Displacer Beasts, Mind Flayers, and a few others. But as Cthillia is humanoid, I’m probably in the clear. All this isn’t to say that she’s a chaotic evil bipolar agoraphobe necessarily. She has eyestalks with powers and moderate budget for scale polish for sure, but her mental state and interpersonal skills are a little more up in the air.
Anyway. I had actually planned a far more dramatic reveal for her at some point in the near-ish future, but I couldn’t really see how the current storyline would lead to what I’d originally imagined. Plus it’s also super funny to me that Sydney just badgered it out of her.
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Is it coincidence that those eyes are similar in color (and shape) to Sydney’s Orbs?
Oh – interesting catch – is that what awaits Sydeney if she progresses far enough?
(Cthillia is Sydney but from the future! Also X-Men want their storyline back so I retract my supposition)
My thinking on the reveal was how her eyes resemble the infinity stones.
Halo has seven, its missing a pink? Color match isn’t perfect. So I’m going to say yes.
…maybe Cthillia has a one-eyed monster?
Probably but knowing comics…I bet they are either directly related to Sydney in future (Cable/Nathan Grey style) or are Sent back by Sydney from the future (Terminator style)
it may be a coincidence that both the orbs and they eyes are supposed to glow in the colors of the rainbow.
Likely because made by the same artist that used the same sense of artistic taste for both character designs.
also: C’thilla uses two yellow eyes. Halo uses one yellow and one orange orb. Otherwise the color palette matches up almost like a lazy artist copypasta’d the color settings …
I cannot express how desperately I want there to be a link. And a secret 7th eye.
C’thilla has 8 eyes. Six forward facing and two rear facing. You can see the two rear eyestalks resting on the top of their head.
And I vaguely remember in an earlier comic, C’thilla was not surprised by someone walking up quietly behind them as they saw them coming.
I’m not sure those are eyes. Looks to me like strange horns or something on her head, judging by their very angular shape and that they don’t have the same brow/lid arrangement as the six eyes we do see. Also, given that her eyes are on stalks and she has six, it’s entirely possible that she could use any of them to look backwards, if she can see through that wrap at all.
Yes, but panel 5, the “backwards eye stalk” on our right appears to me to have a black eye on it.
Oh, those are two more eyestalks? I thought they were horns, that’s what I get for reading on a small screen
No, I’m pretty sure those are horns, and all the people thinking they’re more eyestalks are nuts.
I agree. Not with the nuts part but with the ‘not 2 more eyestalks’ part.
Probably “no” and “yes”. No in the sense that they’re both color coded to function. Yes in the sense that there’s likely no connection between them.
The standard Beholder is typically described as having ten eyestalks, and capable of casting ten eye rays (eleven if we count the central eye’s anti-magic cone). This often is interepreted as each eye specializing in a different ray. At a glance, Cthillia likely follows that same philosophy. Blue eye shoots ice, Green eye causes heart attacks, etc. Much like with Sydney’s orbs, this would mean that they’re color coded for ease of reference. That does not in itself imply a common origin.
I count 8 eyestalks
I was so hoping I wasn’t the only one that noticed that.
So if Cthillia is introduced to rule 34 will that doom the world or help her/him/unknown’s suspected self esteem issue by convincing her she is not hideous to everyone?
Considering what rule 34 have already done to the world I think it would survive this.
Cthilia is a lady.
Well, identifies as female. Lady part to be determined later. She might be if treated with kindness and respect.
I kind of enjoy the fact that she can have her eye stalks out and about or close to her skull. It’s a nice feature that makes her unique from Beholders(C) besides being humaniod.
Gotta love the good ol’ eye kings. (Pathfinder. For when you need monster names that *aren’t* copywriter.)
Or the mythology/Tolkien where Games Workshop and D&D stole most of it from in the first place before changing the spelling and yelling “OC do not steal”.
Don’t forget stealing the magic system from The Dying Earth.
I’m still not really fond of Vancian spellcasting.
It’s like, there are soooooo many other, better methods?
The Black Company games have a fun system for magic, or there’s Dreamscarred Press’s Psionics system, for something that at least looks vaguely Vancian. Even the WoD: Sorcerer ‘static magic’ method feels more genuinely mystical.
Although, for my money, I will always make M:tAsc my go-to for proper Magick.
My first thought was the rendition of the extraterrestrial “Wormtongue” ftom the early 1970s cover of the Ace paperback edition of Robert A Heinlein’s Have Space Suit – Will Travel. It’s amusing to see her so befuddled by Sydney.
Sydney often has that effect on people.
Last panel, that man should’ve added, “Put your hood back on!!!”
Surprised Sydney hasn’t mentioned the eyes matching the orbs.
Im more surprised she didn’t just shout beholder while hugging him and asking if he has Death rays in his eyes
honestly I could see a nerd out moment.
If Cthilla is hundreds of years old, she may have in this universe inspired the Beholder, making her the model/inspiration behind one of the most famous monsters in Dungeons and Dragons, as well as knock offs that skirt that copyright by calling almost the exact same thing names like floating eyestalks, eye kings, death glare orbs, etc…
If they had just one more eye they could match up ‘orb for orb’ with Halo.
I believe those are two more eyestalks on her forehead….
Yep, grayish-brown NY the look of it. I wonder if they’ll end up being black and white.
Also two yellow eyes, the only(?) duplicate color.
Ah, two facing back!
So, one less eye (or one unfortunate accident while running with scissors) and they’ll match Halo’s orbs.
A girl with kaleidoscope eyes..
Though that also applies to Specs
In Sydney’s defense, she’s been lost on an alien spacestation before. I imagine she’s seen MUCH weirder.
Anyone else think Carrier is going to drop them both mid-freakout?
And I suspect that Chillia is the last member of some race the Twilight Council “wiped out” centuries ago?
And is anyone else shipping her with the “Misc” Council rep? He’ll, for all we know that’s what males of her species look like. He does have those light blue eye-lookin’ spots down both sides.
I imagine in such an environment, you will learn to tamp down that “HOLY SHIT” reaction with the quickness.
It’s funny that she’s gotten so used to the horror reaction out of humans that when she DOESN’T get one she gets upset over it.
I imagine she doesn’t have much experience with affection either. Sad.
True, but enough exposure to Sydney and she might start feeling better about herself and improve over time.
I feel like Sydney is reacting like a normal person of the post-contact era, and the soldier is reacting like an interbellum person.
I think Sydney just took her time at the council to heart and doesn’t judge based on appearance. Considering her experience there, as well as her experience on that space station, it does stand to reason that Sydney’s gotten open minded.
It’s said that traveling and seeing new things does open your mind more, and she’s definitely experienced more than most people.
That’s one of my great regrets, my needing to wear glasses means my selection of sunglasses much less cool looking ones is extremely limited. And I don’t even have cool eye ray powers to compensate!
Yeah, back before my cataract surgery, when I was 20-450, not only couldn’t I get cool sunglasses, I couldn’t afford to have more than one pair of regular glasses. I was limited to using clip ons, and most of those wouldn’t even fit those coke bottles.
Mind, I kind of miss not being fixed focus, but the fact that my nose doesn’t hurt from the weight of those things sure compensates.
Sydney uses Empathy. It’s Super Confusing!!
Why aren’t my replies showing up? Is there some sort of moderation going on????
Posts not showing up for many minutes has been a problem for a couple months now, as long as you didn’t get an error message, just count on it going the scenic route before showing up :)
Everyone reacts to Cthillia’s eyes being the colour of Sydney’s orbs. I think it would be funny if it were revealed shortly that Cthillia never thought about it, because she’s colour blind.
Or, she’s simply never looked in a mirror before
Is Sydney hugging her in the last panel?
Omg, i didnt notice that! I think you are right, it totaly look like she is!
… Yes
Yes. Yes she is.
Yes and she’s showing understanding rather than horror for Cthillia. I suspect Cthillia’s been stranded on earth since a young age and has little idea on where’s she’s from or what race she is. She just knows that “normal” humans freak out but Sydney’s seen her share and could find out what her race is and where they are. I’m sure Dabbler would know!
This is seriously a cool creature/character design.
Okay. Now I’m curious. How do a Beholder and a human have a hybrid baby?
Because that’s exactly what he looks like.
In keeping with the D&D frame of reference, bards gonna bard.
Sydney: Ssssoooo, dad was a bard?
Chthillia: no, Mom was.
Sydney: bet she was hot, too
Chthillia: *blushes*
No magic negating central eye, so not a Beholder. Probably not even a variant.
Jack Burton’s response- with all this smoke and dry air you must need to buy eye drops by the dozen.
Sydney then offers to share her warehouse membership card.
Drow is a much older word than D&D. As in, centuries older. That’s why they can’t copyright it.
Agoraphobic and Chaotic. I’m reminded of the Spelljammer Beholders who were organized and spacefaring and could probably have easily conquered the universe but they are much to busy with their massive race war against other Beholders with slightly different scale patterns.
Love the fact that Syd is so “whatever” about Cythilla’s real appearance. I wonder if Cyth is a beholder kin, multiple eye stalks, and where they meet kind of looks like an eyelid.
Oh, so she’s some kind of beholder-kin. Does her dreams manipulate reality too?
So, what usually happens if she wants to use an eye power other than the two that usually see through the hood? Does the hood contort in unsettling ways as she maneuvers a different eyestalk into the typical humanoid position?
There’s enough difference between the shape of her hood and the shape of her head that I believe she has some room to work there. Maybe if she’s in a hurry, it might show on the hood, but it’s probable if that happens, there’s enough stuff going on people won’t really notice.
i’m sorry, what?
she said “react like a normal person” to someone who is neurodivergent? wow, that’s insensitive
Yes, but probably not more insensitive to asking her if she wanted skin cream suggestions.
Okay… we see at least six eyes, but there seem to be two more stalks that look backwards on top of her head, and something like a larger, closed eye in the center of her forehead. And she’s not an alien? I’m stumped. Can’t wait to hear what she really is. But I love Sydney’s reaction. Good ole Sydney; always does the unexpected.
I’m guessing “not an alien” means “my oldest memories are from here, so I assume this is where I came from.” But I’m thinking she’s more likely a stranded orphan alien.
The Drow has origins in Scottish mythology. Most of what has shown up in D&D over the decades has some basis in mythology. The Beholder for example has some elements of a Medusa, cyclops, and maybe the Popobawa. Granted the bigger influence for the Beholder was probably more H.P. Lovecrafter related. The Shoggoth was the big influence there in my opinion. So as long as you call it something unique and change a minor detail here and there you are probably good.
As to eyewear, he/she/it may want to try an anime con. There is some serious big eyes small mouth action going on there.
Okay, kinda underwhelmed on Lia’s appearance (similar to Pennywise’s appearance in the original miniseries)
Also, yeah, Sydney being Sydney is getting beyond annoying (personal opinion, so whiners can just fuck right off, and we all know who you are…)
It’s a big multi verse with all sorts of species. Are we supposed to freak out when one being doesn’t look like a human?
If anyone reading is questioning how Sydney can be so instant friends with people/monsters/items/Dabbler they have forgotten the rule of human combined with the rule of gamer stacked with ADD.
“I’ma pet the displacer beast.”
Rest of party -“What? NO! STOP!”
Don’t ask about how they tied a bell to the minotaur.
That line made me think of the wearing the cape series where Hope jokes the world is her petting zoo and shes had dun playing with lions..
well fuck, now i got to know.
you’ve said too much or not enough, out with it!
They didn’t tie a bell to the minotaur. They convinced the minotaur to wear the bell and let it put its own necklace on.
wait, Chil is a she????
She’s been a she since pretty close to when she was really introduced. I mean, if I recall correctly, she was named in a flash back in which she didn’t speak and wasn’t referred to by pronouns. But I think her next appearance made things clear. In any event, it’s been years since that was established.
Facial structure is solid and symmetrical. There’s more than the usual amount of eyes but they’re all in a place where you expect eyes to be. The mouth is where the mouth should be. There’s no indication that the face splits open down them middle where there’s a horible serrated lamprey-like tongue. *shrug* 1 out of 5.
Meh he’s not that bad nothing in his features provoke primitive fear response surprising but that’s about it
Ah the big reveal! I was guessing she was an alien, SO used to humans freaking out and trying to kill her. Stranded as a child, just trying to survive with no idea how to contact her own people. It could explain why she wanted that dagger, to either get home or to change her look to fit in on earth. If Deus knew this and was keeping his mouth shut he’s lost points with me!
No idea even that she had a her own people to contact. She’s just always been so different she had to hide who she was to be able to socialize with anybody. How do you even start to talk with someone about stuff like that when you can’t show your face?
She knew some members of the Twighlight Council, but they didn’t seem like the sort to want to help anyone they didn’t need to help. She’s a one-off, so not covered by the veil without someone specifically linking her in, and I’ma guess she predates the veil by long enough that nobody who put it up knew about who she really is.
She probably could’ve talked with Deus, but he doesn’t seem like the sort who would try to spend the effort to get to know someone like Cthilla well unless he’s trying to get in her pants. Sure, he’s probably never bedded a beholder before, and if he *knew* that much about her, he’d probably be interested. But I think he only knows about stuff he shouldn’t know that he’d be interested in. Yes, the bucket list is something, but countering that is the whole texture thing. Deus has “thread count requirements”, he’s probably not going to be OK with a scaly partner. So his power then doesn’t kick in, and he doesn’t even need to know that he’d have turned her down.
Cthillia has an even number of eyes (six) and a “normal” mouth with no extra mandibles, pedipalps, etc. This is not the scariest thing Sydney has ever encountered. Especially since Sydney’s had time to get to know Cthillia as a person, so this wasn’t exactly a “jump scare.”
Which begs the question: how is Cthillia going to handle the realization that some people, or even most people, aren’t going to react to her appearance with “kill it with fire?”
Unfortunately, I think the answer there is just “some people.” It’s easy to forget that we all put ourselves in silos. Socializing with people who are very different from you is frequently frustrating, frequently painful. I can’t imagine anyone able to avoid it choosing to embrace it.
Unfortunately for me, I’m very different, and that’s basically my interactions with everybody. So I talk to a lot of different people, trying to find where I belong. Most of the people I’ve gotten to know would react to her appearance with some version of “kill it with fire”, “shoot it”, or some such.
ohhhhhh chtillia = chtullu.
is she a descendant, reincarnation spawn of a related of said eldritch horror?
it makes so much sense in hindsight , how could i not have seen it!
She reminds me of an asari/ batarian but with more eyes.
I would love to see a Mass Effect Grrrl Power crossover.