Dominic Deegan: Oracle For Hire

Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire is a daily fantasy web comic by Michael "Mookie" Terracciano that began in 2002.

The comic is a character-driven story, with individual arcs often lasting for months at a time. The tone of the comic is generally quite upbeat, varying with the current story, with a slight tendency to slip into graphic violence occasionally. Humour is almost always present, and of particular note is Mookie's mastery of bad puns, from homonyms to alliteration.

Dominic Deegan has become quite popular and is hosted on Keenspot.

World

The world is one in which magic is commonplace, and most have at least a basic familiarity with its principles and effects. The practice of magic requires intensive study, as well as a modicum of innate talent.

Perhaps because of the mundacity of magic, technology is equivalent to the middle ages. (The primary means of non-magical combat is swordplay, and anesthesia appears to be a recent innovation.) However, the social attitudes are clearly that of the late twentieth or early twenty-first century. Characters are often seen in modern clothing up to and including fetish attire. Homosexuality is generally accepted, though retains a slight stigma, more present from some than others, as in modern day. Indeed, one storyline centers around a city called "Erossus" with far more openly sexual goings-on, including flamboyant open relationships and bisexuals, than any Western subculture would have allowed before the mid-1900's.

However, the political evolution still seems archaic: many comments and institutions throughout seem to imply a monarchy and caste system. No mention of a parliament, senate, or similar check on royal power has been made as of yet.

Characters

• Dominic Deegan – A professional magic-user specializing in second sight: he can see into the past and future, as well as any current event, regardless of location. While his power has helped him with his magical scholarship, it's also drawn one too many idiot customer to him, giving him a rather poor outlook on people in general. Rercently, he was recruited by Acibek, a golem, to be the Champion of Balance and fight the Storm of Souls.

• Luna Travoria – A sorceress of great power but small self-esteem. Born with tusks, she has suffered years of emotional abuse at the hands of her sisters and mother. Fortunately, her relationship with Dominic is helping, if slowly.

• Spark – Dominic's talking cat. Aside from the ability to talk, Spark shows all the self-centered playfulness of a normal cat. He thinks of himself more as Dominic's roommate than his pet, and is not above forcibly waking Dominic if his breakfast is late. He is a good friend to Dominic, though, and refers to him as "Boss" out of respect.

• Gregory Deegan – Dominic's younger brother and a powerful white mage. An irrepressible optimist, he never fails to see the good in them, and will quickly step in to defend those who need help. For most of his life, he was crippled by a necromantic curse placed on him by a necromancer who attacked the Deegan home in the boys youth. His curse, known as the blight of the undead, was later worsened by his brother Jacob. However in an odd twist of fate the blight was recently cured by Jacob, though unintentionally. He's also famous for his couch forts. He recently started to learn more powerful spells, and can now attack opponents without instantly healing them by mistake.

• Jacob Deegan – The eldest Deegan brother he is an outcast from the family. He is a a necromancer by nature and is extremely driven to become a master in his field. He is consumed with his philosophy about life in death and will do just about anything to attain his idea of personal perfection as a "Zombie Alive." This has led him to being at extreme odds with his family more than once. The rest of the Deegans were already edgy about the subject of necromancy, having been attacked by one once. While he supports his families view of him and has even tried to kill members of his family, mainly Gregory, he does not seem to bear them any actual ill will. Instead his goal is to be "dead" to them and the rest of the world. Jacobs left arm had been emaciated down to the bone, most likely the result of his necromantic practices however the actual nature of the arm and it's origin are still unknown. Now, Rilian, the first necromancer, has restored the arm to its former fleshy state, an action that causes Jacob much distress.

• Lord Siegfried Gunther Aern Damaske von Callan – Lord Siegfried is a Royal Knight of Callan, and is more commonly known as Siggy (for obvious reasons). Though he is an honorable man, his temper and complete lack of diplomacy caused him to hurt many people much more than they deserved in the name of justice. However, recent defeats have humbled him, and he is now working to reform himself.

• Donovan and Miranda Deegan – Donovan and Miranda are Dominic's parents. Miranda is a talented wizard, head of an Estimed Magic School. Donovan is a master of the sword and a bard. Miranda is rather withdrawn and sarcastic, like Dominic, while Donovan is light-hearted and likes to make puns, like Gregory.

• The Infernomancer (Tim) – No one is quite sure who this man is. He gave his eyes to a demon-lord (Karnak) to receive near immortality. He first appeared searching for a magical dryad so he could kill her and drink her blood. Doing so would free him from further servidtude to Karnak. Thanks to Gregory Deegan's talent for white magic, he was banished and the dryad was saved. Later, he reappeared, attacking the School that Miranda Deegan runs. He killed three students, then went to the city of Erossus to attack Miranda herself. Instead, he was banished eternally to a place of nightmares. Everyone (except some of the fans) hopes he will never return.

• Pam – A nurse in Barthis. Fell in love with Gregory upon meeting him. After some advice from Rachel, and an altercation with several violent athletes, she managed to form a relationship with him. Inventor of a liquid anesthetic, "Pamesthetic."

• Rachel Hart – An athlete and Dominic's ex-girlfriend. She and Dominic no longer get along very well, but she has remained close friends with Gregory. Known for her signature move, the "hart-breaker," as well as the ability to deal heavy blows with her face.

• Celesto Morgan – A citizen of Erossus and the champion of chaos. Vowed revenge on Dominic for beginning a chain of events that, albeit unintentionally, led to the death of his lover. He carries a huge hatred for Dominic, even though the seer wasn't the one who killed his lover. He was recruited by the Chosen, a group bent on desroying the world with the power of the Storm of Souls. He is the Champion of Chaos.

• The Chosen, the Storm of Souls, and Acibek  – A group of people generally considered to be insane, the Chosen are bent on ruling/destroying the world through the use of the Storm of Souls. The Storm of Souls is made up of the souls of dead Chosen (and any unfortunate souls they manage to capture). It had been restrained from destroying the world by a network of magical spheres created by the golem Acibek, who is also known as the foremost expert on Order-based magic. This magical cage, created with the help of the Sylvan Oracle, Rilian and Acibek's protege Klo-Tark, required Acibek to sacrifice his own life. This cage had recently been weakening to the point of imminent collapse, which the Chosen attempted to harness for their own ends. Fortunately, Dominic, as the Champion of Balance, managed to avert this catastrophe.