Ears for Elves



Ears for Elves is a lighthearted webcomic on the high end of the fantasy scale, with touches of Heroic Fantasy. It follows the story of Tanna Teasen'atear as she grows from a youngling into adulthood and finds her place in elven society. Started in 2011, it is the first online graphic novel by Naarie Kermie, and theoretically updates on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, though it can be erratic with late pages or unexpected fillers. The site is maintained and edited by Archmage, and links to us, accounting for the high number of inbounds -- our character sheet has even replaced the official one (though that's still accessable through the direct URL)!

The plot so far:
It's always been expected that Tanna, a highborn wood-elf, would follow in her parent's footsteps and be the model nobleman's daughter -- even her friend Zalanna tries to push her into this role. However, Tanna doesn't like being cast in that way, and dreams of being a Village Guardian, practising shooting and tracking often in hopes of becoming as good as warrior Luero. Others don't believe she'll ever make it, especially with having to babysit her younger brother Donn alongside all that she does, but she's gone too far away from the world of dancing and meetings that her parents are part of to reconsider.

Until a stranger knocks her down and then vanishes away.

Enter Drethalrolan, not that Tanna can remember his name. He's a high elf, and for this reason a number wood elves are prejudiced against him. His charming ways from a different culture win over many of them, but at first Tanna views them as arrogant and annoying. However, after sorting out some misunderstandings they become friends -- leading to more misunderstandings when Donn mistakes Rolan for Tanna's boyfriend.

Tropes present include:
"Please add tropes about the main characters to the character sheet."

"Elon: Why must you always put yourself at risk like this? We all know how dangerous the forest is!"
 * Arrow Cam: In this strip, it leads to a rather oddly-shaped arrowhead due to skewed perspective.
 * Art Evolution: The artist admits that drawing is a learning process and she's experimenting with styles and tones.
 * Attack Reflector: One elf uses the blade of his sword to deflect Luero's arrow. It doesn't go back at Luero, though -- instead, it hits the railing Tanna is leaning on.
 * Beneath the Mask: Luero calls out Tanna on her constant smiling in this strip. He goes on to say "Masking your emotions may be necessary for dealing with most people.".
 * Classical Tongue: Some children argue about the proper pronunciation of "Taurë", the word for "wood elves" in the Forgotten Tongue.
 * Cleavage Window: One of the High Elves of Kenn'iraheal has a small one that blends in well with her costume style.
 * Color Failure: As much as there can be in a predominantly grayscale comic. One time, it happens partially to Elon here, after an exasperating attempt at warning Myari about the forest.
 * Crash Into Hello: Tanna's opinion of Rolan is forever shaped by how she first met him. Running through the forest, he knocks her down and lands on top of her. He gets up too quickly for her to protest and vanishes off, narrowly averting an Instant Seiza.
 * Dances and Balls: At the Taurëcuiva Festival there is a dance in the evening, and Zalanna is furious when Tanna turns down a partner. However, Tanna does have to enter the stage when going across the hall to fetch wine, and when Luero drags her on -- see I Can't Dance below. Many of the female elves also make a big deal about getting to dance with Drethalrolan.
 * Disturbed Doves: On the very first page, several types of woodland creature are disturbed by Tanna's archery practice, and a flock of birds fly away from the area.
 * Don't Go in The Woods: Elon gives Myari this warning after she's wandered into the dark, dangerous forest without him.

"Tanna: Dance!? I don't dance!
 * Dope Slap: Tanna hits Rolan twice in succession (here and here) for being polite; she considers this stupid because the potential recipient of said politeness is rather bigoted against Rolan. It's not a slap on the cheek, though.
 * Ear Ache: In the last panel here, Elon grabs and pulls Myari's ear quite hard because he's angry at her/worried about her, and has finally found where she was hiding.
 * Elfeminate: A number of male elves, as most elves have hair at least halfway down their and wear long tunics. Higher-born ones also have small braids, pieces of jewellery, or other details.
 * Enter Stage Window: The Temple of Herunor's doors have been sealed by the druids. In Tanna's words, though, they always seem to forget the window. It's strongly implied that Tanna and Rolan will enter through the window.
 * Face Palm: Tanna pulls this off twice in three panels. This may be some sort of record.
 * Fantastic Light Source: When Tanna enters the temple, it's dark once she reachs the main room. However, she touches an orb over a glowing basin, and it and similar orbs light up the whole chamber with mystical effects.
 * Filler Strips: Several times. They can happen when Naarie Kermie doesn't have the time/tools to draw a "proper" strip, or just for fun/exposition. Some are even planned out well in advance.
 * Flower in Her Hair: At the Taurëcuiva Festival, most women wear herublossoms in their hair.
 * Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: See Sibling Yin-Yang.
 * Gossipy Hens: Generic elven women are known for being gossips, especially about Rolan, much to Tanna's annoyance. They're sometimes drawn without eyes.
 * Halloween Episode: A filler page for Halloween here has the artist and site maintainer dressing up. Well, more like one getting into the festive spirit and the other wondering what the point is...
 * He Is Not My Boyfriend: Donny sees Tanna walking arm-in-arm with Rolan, infers that he must be her boyfriend, and finds this disgusting. Tanna protests madly. A while later, Donny tells Tanna that her new boyfriend isn't so bad after all; her reaction is to say that Rolan is not her boyfriend.
 * I Can't Dance/You Said You Couldn't Dance: Played with.
 * Tanna protests that she doesn't dance when Luero tries (and succeeds) to drag her into the dancing at the Taurëcuiva Festival, but she's actually rather good...

Luero: I believe you mean you won't dance. And you're about to be proven wrong.

Tanna: Okay fine, it's not that I can't dance- I mean of course I learned how. I just haven't danced in a while."

"Tanna: Oh gods! You're terrible!!"
 * ... unlike Luero, even though he told her to follow his lead. A few minutes after her reluctant entry to the dance floor:


 * Kick the Dog: Discussed by Tanna and Elon in this strip, though no literal puppy-kicking happens.
 * Long Lived: Elves live into their 900s, with adulthood being between the ages of 200 and 700. Life stages and certain character's ages are discussed here.
 * The Lost Woods: Suprisingly averted so far, given that this is fantasy set in a forest full of elves. There may be something in them (see Elon's warning under Don't Go Into the Woods), but we haven't seen it yet.
 * Oddly Visible Eyebrows: Most characters with a fringe have these, though the brows are just a single line. On the main banner, Luero's right eye is visible through several strands of his thick hair.
 * Odd-Shaped Panel: There aren't usually outrageous shapes, but here a series of three short, wide rectangular panels indicate zooming in/panning down.
 * Our Elves Are Different: Each different demographic of elf is defined by their ear design which is explained in the first panel of this Q & A page.
 * Pink Means Feminine: For Myari, along with hearts, swirls, flowers, and possibly a butterfly.
 * Pointy Ears: See Our Elves Are Different.
 * Rapunzel Hair: Several characters on this page do; then again, their hair does serve as panel breaks and the art is very stylised.
 * Really Seven Hundred Years Old: As explained here, elves stop ageing when they reach young adulthood; see Long Lived above. Luero is 77 and looks like a well-toned man in his twenties.
 * Rebellious Princess: Tanna seems to think being genteel is overrated. Luero comments on how she likes that role, but Zalanna despairs at her.
 * Rule 63: An official version, no less! The last panel here calls it by name and shows what Tanna and Luero would look like. Luero, naturally, does the stereotypical thing and gropes his newfound boobs.
 * Ship Tease: Between Tanna and Rolan at the Taurëcuiva Festival. It's worse because of how they had a Crash Into Hello.
 * Sibling Yin-Yang: Elon and Myari, oh so much. Elon is cautious and methodical where Myari is impulsive and excitable.
 * Speech Bubbles: Naturally, these get used throughout the whole webcomic; however, the ways their shape and layout can be used is shown excellently here.
 * Speechbubbles Interruption:
 * Myari cuts off Tanna this way in this strip. It fits with her hyperactive personality.
 * An angry Tanna does this to Rolan three times in one page.
 * Unmoving Plaid: Happens in most strips with some kind of pattern, due to how the shading works. Particularly noticeable on some of the costumes from the chapter 2 title page.
 * Wall of Text: Donn can be enthusiastic when explaining things, leading to walls of text for justifying his actions when accused of following Tanna, or giving detailed descriptions of berry prizes at a festival. Thankfully, most of those speeches are obscured by Donny himself.
 * What the Fu Are You Doing?: Elon? Seriously? And did you teach that to Donn?