Same concept: She’s incredibly dangerous because she’s born that way; her personality isn’t that of someone who’s dedicated thousands of hours of her life to becoming as dangerous as possible; she’s, by her own admission, a huge dork.
Seeing Roxxanne dork-out was like watching Batman join a group of 8 year olds for jump-rope, while giggling the entire time.
My weapony friends often geek out over things that would never be a part of their everyday carry. A couple of them practice knife throwing as an activity but if you ask them about actual use, they would in turn ask why you would throw away a perfectly good edge.
Also not all throwing knives are intended to stay in the target. Using it to make a slice pass could cause your opponent to drop something or gather a bit of DNA as it goes by. A thrown weapon can be used to slow downa runner by forcing a direction change, while leaving the blade to be picked up after the chase is finished.
As for someone dangerous being a goober, well anyone who spends that much effort in an area is apt to gush when they find someone willing to share their interest. I’ve surprised more than one group by getting the person too shy to speak up into an animated conversation (that usually baffles those around us.) It is one of my most fun gifts.
And anyone who’s served in the combat arms know the combat geek type or is/was one, and they come in all flavors.
Which means Kathrine is quite comfortable with Roxanne and can trust her to watch her back.
Being technically mundanes Roxanne and Kathrine are also insulation between the mundane and para world, a big plus for para society’s security.
Trying to wrap my mind around their respective ages. Can’t remember if Castela was around before Owen and Lakshimi eloped or if she appeared after; don’t have time at the moment for an archive dive. I will later in the day.
From what Paul has mentioned on previous pages, despite their elopement being published in 2005, it was set mid-1990s. If the current pages are set in the contemporary present, this would mean Roxanne would be in her early-to-mid 20s.
Castela appears to be in her mid-teens (and behaves accordingly), however her youngest appearance (during a flashback when Atsali was a Toddler/Preschooler) was that of a potted plant, before she learned to adopt a humanoid form, so it is possible she is older than even she knows.
For reference, Atsali would be younger than Roxanne, as she is at college, meaning the aforementioned flashback probably occured around the same time, or slightly later than, the preceding page’s flashback of a young adventuring Roxanne, which would have been mid-2000s.
Tracked it down. “Echoes,” March 20th, 2012: Shelly gets the card picture announcing Owen and Lakshmi eloped. “Where Did You Go,” July 24th, 2013, Castela appears in the orphanage (though there are four Little Atsali pictures right before that.) So some time must have passed for a daughter of Owen and Lakshmi to be that much older than Castela. Yup. I can accept that. Though I’d been assuming things happened then-and-there and in the here-and-now, I guess some movement in time is required.
Tomorrow she goes from starry-eyed geek to deadly accurate assassin as she successfully throws a six-knife practice volley into a 2-inch spread on the target…
Don’t see many knives made out of S5. Usually it’s 1045 or 1065, maybe 1095. I’m a blacksmithing geek, though to be fair, knives aren’t really my thing. And I can see why she’d go for a spring steel for throwing knives. Generally, though, when smiths talk about the S-series of steel, it’s S7, which tends to make for better tools than knives due to the hardening and tempering process (S7 is an air-hardening steel at the thickness knives are made in).
S5 apparently isn’t great at holding an edge – it’s softer then most knife steels – but for a throwing knife that might not be all that much of a disadvantage. The metal’s toughness would be more important – it would allow the use of a thin blade with little risk that the blade would snap if it hit something hard when thrown.
I wonder whether a hammer-forged composite of S5 and a harder edge-holding knife steel (a “Damascus steel” although it really isn’t) might be suitable? Pretty, too!
Probably what you’d want IS a form of pattern-welded steel, but more of a san-mai (think hot dog in a bun). It’s pretty common for knives to be made that way, actually. And I’d very much agree with you that for a knife made for throwing, the edge retention’s not as important as toughness, but you still want it to keep its edge. Having a softer core with a harder edge was common with swords back in the day when the carbon percentage of steel was inconsistent, and you had to manage your resources. It had the benefit of allowing the sword to flex more without breaking. From the sound of it, S5 would be better for a throwing spike.
Except you don’t always need a sharp edge on a throwing knife. Someone skilled at the art can throw the knife with the intent to score blunt force trauma when they done want to make a kill shot.
I’m going to need to look into S7. An air hardening steel would have some nice benefits in combat or survival situations. I cringe when I watch someone heat a blade red hot on TV or movie to question someone. Hardening and tempering a blade is not an instantaneous process and it requires more skill and knowledge than your average person has. Turning the blade red hot just destroyed that work and stresses the steel.
What’s great about this page is it’s loaded next to… (counts) 15 Knifecenter tabs where I’m trying to find THE 5″-ish inch blade that will hopefully solve my “what shall I carry?” issue. The problem is, I gotta get rid of a bunch that I got that didn’t satisfy else the wife will sigh overmuch; I’m thinking it might be time to have something made to suit, so I totally get Roxanne, here.
This is the danger of mixing wildly different power levels. I find the “Who should attack? A good archer or the God of Thunder?” problem everywhere. Of course, Roxanne could well have paranormal defense assists, but throw that knife at Bud, and it could come back at relativistic speed. (More likely Bud would barely notice, or go “huh. nice knife. Sorry I blunted it.” and then fix the edge with her fingers. Jin would give you that light-saber-noise look and you’d decide you had something better to do, like hide under a bed until the scary lady went away. if you attack Daylla with metal, does she just absorb it? My favorite “person I’d like to see on defense” is Ms. Alger. I’m still waiting for someone to hit that wall…
I know a lot of people who would geek out over knives or other weapons. I’ve scared the crap out of more than one person that way. One thing I love about my Mom is that she will calmly look at the deadly knife with the same reaction as the tribute Barbie doll to an amazing mathematician over which I’m geeking out. The doll ended up as my Christmas present that year as it was the first doll I’ve ever expressed independent interest in having.
All this from s 15-year-old that can shoot plasma.
Same concept: She’s incredibly dangerous because she’s born that way; her personality isn’t that of someone who’s dedicated thousands of hours of her life to becoming as dangerous as possible; she’s, by her own admission, a huge dork.
Seeing Roxxanne dork-out was like watching Batman join a group of 8 year olds for jump-rope, while giggling the entire time.
I hope she has a “Returning” enchantment on that assassin’s tool, or she’s gonna be sobbing, post-mission.
“Custom-made” and “throwing” don’t seem particularly compatible, do they? Maybe she doesn’t kill entities often that way.
My weapony friends often geek out over things that would never be a part of their everyday carry. A couple of them practice knife throwing as an activity but if you ask them about actual use, they would in turn ask why you would throw away a perfectly good edge.
Also not all throwing knives are intended to stay in the target. Using it to make a slice pass could cause your opponent to drop something or gather a bit of DNA as it goes by. A thrown weapon can be used to slow downa runner by forcing a direction change, while leaving the blade to be picked up after the chase is finished.
As for someone dangerous being a goober, well anyone who spends that much effort in an area is apt to gush when they find someone willing to share their interest. I’ve surprised more than one group by getting the person too shy to speak up into an animated conversation (that usually baffles those around us.) It is one of my most fun gifts.
I would not be surprised if Roxanne does not wear murder needles in her hair when it’s up
She’s probably like Ronon Dex in Stargate Atlantis. Even when they’ve been searched and disarmed, they’re still armed to the teeth.
Roxanne is literally me. ~<3
And anyone who’s served in the combat arms know the combat geek type or is/was one, and they come in all flavors.
Which means Kathrine is quite comfortable with Roxanne and can trust her to watch her back.
Being technically mundanes Roxanne and Kathrine are also insulation between the mundane and para world, a big plus for para society’s security.
Trying to wrap my mind around their respective ages. Can’t remember if Castela was around before Owen and Lakshimi eloped or if she appeared after; don’t have time at the moment for an archive dive. I will later in the day.
From what Paul has mentioned on previous pages, despite their elopement being published in 2005, it was set mid-1990s. If the current pages are set in the contemporary present, this would mean Roxanne would be in her early-to-mid 20s.
Castela appears to be in her mid-teens (and behaves accordingly), however her youngest appearance (during a flashback when Atsali was a Toddler/Preschooler) was that of a potted plant, before she learned to adopt a humanoid form, so it is possible she is older than even she knows.
For reference, Atsali would be younger than Roxanne, as she is at college, meaning the aforementioned flashback probably occured around the same time, or slightly later than, the preceding page’s flashback of a young adventuring Roxanne, which would have been mid-2000s.
Tracked it down. “Echoes,” March 20th, 2012: Shelly gets the card picture announcing Owen and Lakshmi eloped. “Where Did You Go,” July 24th, 2013, Castela appears in the orphanage (though there are four Little Atsali pictures right before that.) So some time must have passed for a daughter of Owen and Lakshmi to be that much older than Castela. Yup. I can accept that. Though I’d been assuming things happened then-and-there and in the here-and-now, I guess some movement in time is required.
No matter what it is, sports, engines, tools, random trivia, toys from your childhood,, we are geeks about something.
👆 THIS 👆
Tomorrow she goes from starry-eyed geek to deadly accurate assassin as she successfully throws a six-knife practice volley into a 2-inch spread on the target…
Don’t see many knives made out of S5. Usually it’s 1045 or 1065, maybe 1095. I’m a blacksmithing geek, though to be fair, knives aren’t really my thing. And I can see why she’d go for a spring steel for throwing knives. Generally, though, when smiths talk about the S-series of steel, it’s S7, which tends to make for better tools than knives due to the hardening and tempering process (S7 is an air-hardening steel at the thickness knives are made in).
S5 apparently isn’t great at holding an edge – it’s softer then most knife steels – but for a throwing knife that might not be all that much of a disadvantage. The metal’s toughness would be more important – it would allow the use of a thin blade with little risk that the blade would snap if it hit something hard when thrown.
I wonder whether a hammer-forged composite of S5 and a harder edge-holding knife steel (a “Damascus steel” although it really isn’t) might be suitable? Pretty, too!
I would hope her parents taught her how impolite it is to point.
Probably what you’d want IS a form of pattern-welded steel, but more of a san-mai (think hot dog in a bun). It’s pretty common for knives to be made that way, actually. And I’d very much agree with you that for a knife made for throwing, the edge retention’s not as important as toughness, but you still want it to keep its edge. Having a softer core with a harder edge was common with swords back in the day when the carbon percentage of steel was inconsistent, and you had to manage your resources. It had the benefit of allowing the sword to flex more without breaking. From the sound of it, S5 would be better for a throwing spike.
Except you don’t always need a sharp edge on a throwing knife. Someone skilled at the art can throw the knife with the intent to score blunt force trauma when they done want to make a kill shot.
I’m going to need to look into S7. An air hardening steel would have some nice benefits in combat or survival situations. I cringe when I watch someone heat a blade red hot on TV or movie to question someone. Hardening and tempering a blade is not an instantaneous process and it requires more skill and knowledge than your average person has. Turning the blade red hot just destroyed that work and stresses the steel.
What’s great about this page is it’s loaded next to… (counts) 15 Knifecenter tabs where I’m trying to find THE 5″-ish inch blade that will hopefully solve my “what shall I carry?” issue. The problem is, I gotta get rid of a bunch that I got that didn’t satisfy else the wife will sigh overmuch; I’m thinking it might be time to have something made to suit, so I totally get Roxanne, here.
I respectfully suggest that Roxanne deserves a theme song, and the obvious choice is “Girl Needs A Knife” by Minneapolis folk duo The Flash Girls.
https://youtu.be/sXAjq0cNKB0
“♪ I bought myself a new knife… ♪”
This is the danger of mixing wildly different power levels. I find the “Who should attack? A good archer or the God of Thunder?” problem everywhere. Of course, Roxanne could well have paranormal defense assists, but throw that knife at Bud, and it could come back at relativistic speed. (More likely Bud would barely notice, or go “huh. nice knife. Sorry I blunted it.” and then fix the edge with her fingers. Jin would give you that light-saber-noise look and you’d decide you had something better to do, like hide under a bed until the scary lady went away. if you attack Daylla with metal, does she just absorb it? My favorite “person I’d like to see on defense” is Ms. Alger. I’m still waiting for someone to hit that wall…
Ok, after this strip, I am officially in love with Roxanne.
I like this ‘Roxanne’ char. she’s neat, lovely and lathal all at the same time
Just like all the other ladies in this webic 😀
I know a lot of people who would geek out over knives or other weapons. I’ve scared the crap out of more than one person that way. One thing I love about my Mom is that she will calmly look at the deadly knife with the same reaction as the tribute Barbie doll to an amazing mathematician over which I’m geeking out. The doll ended up as my Christmas present that year as it was the first doll I’ve ever expressed independent interest in having.