Ishmael

*"He is the newest member of the Saltwater Syndicate, a crime ring that commits daring heists throughout Schippersburg.*

*Ishmael is a codename given by Ahab for his activities with the Syndicate; his real name is otherwise unknown."-* Ishmael's character profile

**Ishmael** is an antagonist in Glory Hounds. He is the newest member of the Saltwater Syndicate, a crime ring that commits daring heists throughout Schippersburg.

"Ishmael" is a codename given by Ahab for his activities with the Syndicate; his real name is otherwise unknown.

## Appearance

Ishmael is a fierce-looking barracuda with teal scales and a stocky build. He has a blue and pink fin on his head, which is pierced with a gold ring, two more fins on either side of his face, and one his chin that resembles a goatee. He wears a pink tank top and a collared designer jacket with blue and pink highlights, as well as shorts held up with a blue and pink belt. He sports a choker with a fishbone pattern, a large gold watch, and several rings on his fingers. He has gills on either side of his neck and so while out of water, Ishmael dons a bubble helmet that allows him to breathe. Although it has not yet been referenced in-story, Ishmael also appears to have a tattoo of a large X near where his navel would be, accompanied by a dotted line leading down towards his groin.

In accordance with the apparent rules of the Saltwater Syndicate, Ishmael uses pirate slang and avoids profanity, but lapses into more normal speech laden with curses when frustrated.

## Personality

Ishmael is aggressive and displays a willingness to use violence with little to no provocation. His jewelry and designer wardrobe seem to indicate that he values status symbols, and his decision to extort defenseless targets like Mrs. de Bruin against the orders of his boss reveals him to be risk-averse and quite petty. Ishmael is said to be somewhat unintelligent, and he frequently acts without thinking. This makes him easily distractible, and he is prone to getting into arguments with others such as Polly even while otherwise engaged in a job.

Despite his typically aggressive and vengeful nature, Ishmael seems to have great respect for Ahab and longs desperately to please him. He struggles to keep up with the Syndicate's various rules, especially the use of pirate lingo and Ahab's ban on cursing, but tries his best to abide by them on his boss' behalf.

## Story

### Prior to Glory Hounds

As a child, Ishmael used to steal lunch money from his peers and was somewhat of a stereotypical bully. These traits carried on into his adulthood, and Ishmael turned to committing petty crimes for profit. At some point before the events of Glory Hounds, Ishmael's criminal activities encroached upon the turf of the Saltwater Syndicate, which lead to him being confronted by Ahab himself. Rather than punishing Ishmael however, Ahab instead adopted him into his crew. Ishmael became fiercely loyal to Ahab as a result, and as the newest member of the Syndicate he hopes to prove himself to the crew and his captain especially.

### Issue #1

Ishmael makes his debut in Glory Hounds as the first criminal that Alex and Dawn Hound face off against together. While Alex is shopping at the corner store operated by Mrs. de Bruin, Ishmael forces open the door and demands that she pay 'protection fees' to the Saltwater Syndicate on penalty of violence or damage to her property. When she refuses, he points a pistol at her.

Before he can act upon this threat, Alex charges at Ishmael from out of one of the store aisles and pours an acrid-smelling condiment over the bubble helmet he uses to breathe. Mrs. de Bruin escapes while Ishmael is disoriented, but he recovers quickly and turns his weapon on Alex before suddenly being startled by Dawn Hound bursting in through a window.

Ishmael ridicules Dawn Hound's strange costume, only for the masked hero to respond that Ahab, the leader of the Syndicate, would disapprove of Ishmael's decision to rob old ladies who cannot fight back. Ishmael is shocked by this apparent familiarity with his boss and tries furiously to fire his gun at Dawn Hound, only to realize that the condiment Alex doused him with has rendered it useless.

Ishmael then fights Dawn Hound with a knife but is outmaneuvered and disarmed, and finds himself quickly knocked back out onto the street by the combined efforts of Dawn Hound and Alex. After swearing vengeance, Ishmael dives into a nearby canal and escapes.

### Issue #2

Following his confrontation with Dusk Hound and Alex, Ishmael returns to the Saltwater Syndicate's hideout. He quickly gets into an argument with Polly, who scolds him for his rashness, only for the squabble to be broken up by the arrival of Ahab himself. Much to Ishmael's relief, Ahab chooses to pardon his attempted robbery, since it is his first mistake and there is an upcoming job that requires as many members as the Syndicate can muster. The pair are then introduced to Khameau, and Ahab tells them about the plan to sneak into an art gallery called Opgedoekt and steal the valuable Money Talks gown.

Ishmael and the rest of the Syndicate members infiltrate Opgedoekt disguised as janitors. Upon seeing Alex, Ishmael immediately radios the rest of the Syndicate and begins pursuing him, only to lose him when he ducks into a bathroom. He then recruits Polly to help him search, but the pair quickly get into a heated dispute about what direction to go, to the degree that they initially ignore Dawn Hound's presence. Once they notice him, Ishmael goads Polly into attacking with him and the pair charge into battle, only for Dusk Hound to knock them both out in one hit. Ahab nonetheless ultimately succeeds in defeating the two heroes, and so Ishmael and Polly are presumably collected by him as he makes his escape.

Ishmael and the Syndicate return to their hideout at De Zoute Zeeman to celebrate their successful heist, though he and Polly quickly begin bickering again. When the party is once again interrupted by the interference of Dusk and Dawn Hound, Ishmael charges them. While attempting to attack Dawn Hound, he instead knocks out Polly inadvertently. The fight is then quickly ended when Dusk Hound incapacitates Ahab, much to Ishmael's horror. He begrudgingly surrenders and returns the gown, vowing revenge but cowering when Dusk Hound threatens him with the same fate as Ahab.

Ishmael later appears in the *Cooking with Max* segment following the conclusion of Issue #2's main story, in which he somehow ends up assisting Max in making a cake. Ishmael complies with Max's instructions, though he expresses some trepidation throughout the process. He is shocked to see Alex and Ahab arrive at the apartment together, though he is quickly distracted by the cake catching fire.

## Relationships

### Ahab

Ahab is the leader of the Saltwater Syndicate and Ishmael's "captain." After Ahab recruited him to the Syndicate, Ishmael dedicated himself to his new position and now strives to make Ahab proud. Unfortunately Ishmael's eagerness to please is offset by his impulsiveness, leading to him forgetting his orders, such as when he attempts to rob Mrs. de Bruin or blows his cover as a "janitor" upon seeing Alex. As a result, he often ends up disappointing Ahab more than pleasing him, the frustration of which he tends to blame or take out on others.

Ishmael notably decorates the gun he wields with a small charm in the shape of Ahab.

### Polly

Ishmael seems to have an intense rivalry with Polly due to their competitive vying for Ahab's approval and Polly's habit of looking down on him as an idiot. Ishmael is annoyed by Polly's smug disposition, and their squabbling often results in them getting distracted from more important matters.

### Alex

After being foiled and embarrassed by Alex following his attempted robbery of Mrs. de Bruin's store, Ishmael develops a grudge against Alex. Ishmael seems set on teaching Alex a lesson and is angered at the sight of him, even going against Ahab's orders once again in swearing to rough him up as revenge. Despite having met Alex before he became Dawn Hound's sidekick, Ishmael fails to recognize him as Dusk Hound.

## Trivia

* Ishmael's name, along with his close association with a whale named Ahab, likely references the novel *Moby Dick*, which is narrated by a man called Ishmael.
* Ishmael is the first and so far only fish character to appear in an Echo Project visual novel.
* Ishmael is bisexual.

## Gallery

NeutralIshmael wearing a bubble helmetAngryCockyCocky (with bubble helmet)SurprisedSurprised (with bubble helmet)SadSmilingHolding his pistolPointing his pistol angrilyPromo art featuring Ishmael illustrated by Shtar.Promo art for Glory Hounds Issue #3- Of Models, Monsters, and Mortality featuring Ishmael. Illustrated by Jasper.
## References

1. ↑ Redd's CuriousCat
2. ↑ Redd's Twitter