The Chronicles of Estra - The Webcomic - Updated 06/04/09 - Comic #0008 now available

[Blayze]

Decided to streamline this post further.

-Current Comic-

-Act I: Rise of the Council-

Comic #0010 -- Warp!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Secret/EstraActFail3.png


-Comic Archives-



-Prologue -- The Flight of the Vigilant-

Comic #0000 -- Cover

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraPrologueTitle.png


Comic #0001 -- The Fall of Earth

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra1-1.png


Comic #0002 -- Emergency Procedures

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra2.png


Comic #0003 -- HyperIdentity

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra3.png


Comic #0004 -- Superheated

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra4.png


Comic #0005 -- iNsubordination

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra5.png


Comic #0006 -- Planetfail

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraPlanetfallFont10.png


Comic #0007 -- Naming Convention

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraPlanetfall2.png


-Act I: Rise of the Council-

Comic #0000 -- Title

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraActFailTitle.png


Credit for outstanding work goes to Zweanslord for the following seven comics. :)

Comic #0001 -- His Full Name is Feargus the Fearful

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraBirth1.jpg


Comic #0002 -- Apply Boot Directly to Door

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraBirth2.png


Comic #0003 -- Don't Read From the Book!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraBirth3.png


Comic #0004 -- Pandora's Spatial Disturbance

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraBirth4.png


Comic #0005 -- I'm the Captain, I Don't Need to Know!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraBirth5.png


Comic #0006 -- Angry Faceship

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraBirth6.png


Comic #0007 -- Textdump Crits Alderaan for Massive Damage

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraBirth7.png


Comic #0008 -- The Aftermath

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraActFail1.png


Comic #0009 -- Arise, Fiona

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraActFail2.png


Comic #0010 -- Warp!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Secret/EstraActFail3.png


-Act III: The Hero Tournament-

Comic #0000 -- Cover


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraActITitle.png


Comic #0006 -- The Hunted

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra6.png


Comic #0007 -- Denied

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra7.png


Comic #0008 -- Now That's Just Cheating

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra8.png


Comic #0009 -- Not the First Time, or the Last Time

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra9.png


Comic #0010 -- Future Sight: Cruel and Unusual Protagonists//Petty Criminal

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra10.png


Comic #0011 -- Whose Line is it Anyway?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra11-1.png


Comic #0012 -- Interior Design

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra12.png


Comic #0013 -- Dread Rok'tha'ru

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra13.png


Comic #0014 -- A Mind is a Terrible Thing With Haste

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra14.png


Comic #0015 -- One-Up

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra15.png


Comic #0016 -- Dream 1//Chargrilled

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra16.png


Comic #0017 -- Dream 2//First Impact

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra17.png


Comic #0018 -- The Dream is Over

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra18.png


Comic #0019 -- Not a Plot Hole

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra19.png


Comic #0020 -- Trousers are Difficult Sometimes

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra20.png


-Act VI -- The Second Rift-

Comic #0000 -- Cover

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraAct6.png


Comic #0001 -- Jailbreak

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra2_1.png


Comic #0002 -- Starfleet Reject

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra2_2.png


Comic #0003 -- Our Elves are Better

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra2_3.png


Comic #0004 -- Insurance Policies

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra2_4.png


Comic #0005 -- Critical Failure

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra2_5.png


Comic #0006 -- Operation Pyrrhus

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra2_6.png


Comic #0007 -- Divide and Conquer

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra2_7.png


Comic #0008 -- Scrayal's Betrayal

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra2_8.png

[memnarch]

I look forward to watching you improve.

For a star background, you could use the fill > pattern > Polka dot, small white.

[Lyinginbedmon]

I look forward to watching you improve.

For a star background, you could use the fill > pattern > Polka dot, small white.

I've considered that option myself, but found that the repetitiveness of the pattern makes it look very unlike actual space, so I generally prefer to just make a basic white circle and then spam copy+paste over the black space background.

[The Blackbird]

Ooh Sci-Fi sorta thing awesome:smallamused:

[Szilard]

I can't believe only two three people have commented on this. I still think this estra thing is awesome, and will love to see how this unfolds.

[Lyinginbedmon]

Definitely one of the more intricate storylines we've seen around here.


(In my books that's a good thing, by the way)

[BRC]

I'd comment more, but I already said things in my PM, so I'll need to see how the story develops...

[Blayze]

Comic #0002 is up!

The world before you is a wasteland, covered in the remains of a thousand long-dead civilisations. Ruined building after ruined building stands as a testament to the power of time over all things. Acrid smog fills both the air and your lungs, though you do not choke. For a moment, you suspect the smog has not impaired your breathing.

It is then that you realise your error -- you are *not* breathing. Startled, you turn to run -- to where, you do not know -- but freeze where you stand. Before you stands a mockery of a man. Every inch of his flesh is covered in a multitude of hideous weeping sores, infections and sacs stretched full of disgusting thick fluids.

He opens his mouth, revealing two rows of gangrenous, yellowed teeth -- and no tongue. He speaks, but every word appears hellish torment on his mouth and feels like hellish torment on your ears.

"I am Death. Welcome to my domain." he says, discharging from his mouth a constant deluge of what you assume is a collection of mucus, bile and vomit. You sink to your knees in terror, and your body quakes as you begin to sob in realisation of the fact that your life is over -- and he is your new custodian.

"Do not fear. The second comic is up." he says, turning and leaving you to your emotions. It is some time before you realise what he has said. When at last you stand, he is long gone. Only the puddle of bodily fluids remains.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra2.png

[Blayze]

Tough crowd, eh? No matter, no matter.

Comic #0003 is up!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra3.png

Edit: I'm a bit late for Red Nose Day it seems, but it just so happens that I can't seem to make a pair of trousers in Inkscape without them looking like CLOWN TROUSERS.

[BRC]

Ooh, nice work on the Starfields. And intresting note about the space dust, I always wondered about that whenever you have sci-fi spacecraft going a gajillion miles per second.
"Don't call me Shirley", abit old, but it's a classic.
So, this is setting up that alot of the crew (At least the people running the reactors) are not trained stellar engineers. If Green Shirt Guy was a trained starship engineer, he would probably know about void travel, and clown guy wouldn't need to explain it to him.

[Blayze]

I didn't expect a reply to hit the topic while I was busy struggling getting the forum to actually work for a change. Thanks. :)

Yeah BRC, I took Lying's advice on the starfields and just spammed a load of tiny white circles everywhere. It seems to work, and I'm learning more about Inkscape as I go. I still haven't worked out why it randomly decides to group things together, though.

As for Greenshirt McBaldface, I could lie and say that he's an ironic and accurate representation of the general lack of knowledge possessed by 99% of the population. However, he's actually a not-so-cleverly-designed excuse for Chief Engineer Malcolm Heron -- showing his support for Comic Relief in this comic -- to act as Mr. Exposition.

[memnarch]

On the issue of pants; maybe if there was less of a curve at the crotch, the pants wouldn't flair out so much at the bottom?

[Blayze]

Hmm. Sorta like this, perhaps?

-Quasi-Plot Snippet I Just Made Up-

Helmsman Scott Matthew Blenkinsop learns why it's generally a bad idea to go anywhere near the Chief Engineer when he's in the vicinity of technology.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Ceiling.png

[Blayze]

Yay for simple images. Here's comic four!

Comic #0004 -- Superheated


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra4.png

[Blayze]

I'm baaack!

Comic #0005 -- iNsubordination


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra5.png

[memnarch]

I'm rather confused about what happened last comic.

[Blayze]

Yes, I intend to dip into that a bit. Suffice to say they're called the Kronii, they're another member species of the Galactic Alliance and they hate everybody who isn't them -- and almost everybody who is.

As for the engine output, I've got to say that it looks hideous and I'll have to change it tomorrow after work. I also need to put in an explosion -- or whatever happens when you're in space -- on the Seeker...

[Blayze]

Well, that's it for the first part of the prologue. Rest assured that the other part will appear when it's important. I leave it to yourselves to ponder precisely what form it will appear in, however.

For now? The third act -- yes, *third* -- begins.

-Act III: The Hero Tournament-


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraActITitle.png


-Supplemental: World Map-


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraActIWorldMap.png


Comic #0006 -- The Hunted


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra6.png


Comic #0007 -- Denied


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra7.png

[BRC]

The question is, is bald guy immune to fire, or magic? Or Magic Fire?

[Blayze]

Heh. I've been waiting for this moment. Yes, Bald Guy is immune to magic. His clothes are as well, but that's another matter.

-Anti-Magic-

The theory behind anti-magic is a very simple one: If somebody is incapable of controlling or maintaing a spell, then it will fail. To that end, anti-magic technology generally revolves around "pushing" mana away from itself and generating a "null magic zone" devoid of mana -- and therefore immune to magic.

When it happens close enough to disrupt a spell, said spell is torn apart as the mana involved in sustaining it goes everywhere. It is rare for any spellcaster to be able to maintain a spell for long in the presence of anti-magic, and even then it's usually only down to a lack of other things to concentrate on that allows them to focus completely on sustaining their spell.

Though mana is a natural part of both the world and the human body, Spellbreakers are capable of living perfectly normal lives without it where other people would suffer from extreme mana exhaustion and potentially die.

-Origin-

The idea came originally from a top-secret Krenyan research team -- provide the citizens with anti-magic and their technologically-advanced society would never be threatened by magic again. But how to do it? Any item that offered protection could be removed or stolen.

The answer came in the form of highly-invasive tattoos fashioned after the runes used by Enchanters to imbue everything from weapons and armour to building foundations with whatever improvements the owner was willing to pay for.

The first batch of test subjects was almost a complete failure. Of the fifty unwilling participants in the project, all but one displayed signs of severe fatigue and mana exhaustion before dying. The only one to survive the process was a young lad of no more than twelve.

When the laboratory was torched by a team of Council enforcers and the scientists put to the sword, there was no trace of the lad. Scattered research notes and post-mortem identification of the deceased victims declared his name to be "Magran Duvak", although no investigations or divinations into his location or next of kin revealed any success.

-The Spellbreakers-

These days, a Spellbreaker is a rare sight indeed. They know the public fears them, and they also know that all the protection against magic in the world won't save them from the business end of a rusty pitchfork. As a result they generally operate in secret, although some -- mostly the more melodramatic ones -- like to announce their presence. Some even go so far as to refuse to hide their identities.

These are the agents who draw the most casters out of hiding. These are the ones who sit in the same pub as a known mage, let the caster clearly see their runic tattoos and wait for them to make their move. They are also the ones at most risk of dying, so it evens out in the end.

Spellbreakers can mostly be found in the Krenyan Empire, although some do travel north in search of victims. The general assumption is that they are in the employ of the Empire, but the Emperor has disavowed any knowledge of their actions. As far as Krenya is concerned, both the Spellbreakers and their anti-magic revolution are on their own.

Whether this is true or not remains to be seen.

[Blayze]

Since I haven't had the time to do a new comic at the moment, here's some of my notes on Act III. Bear in mind that these four are *protagonists*.

-Rogue's Gallery: Act III-

Name: Luja Kiono

Species: Barely Human

Profession: Pickpocket

Magical Affinity: Arcane (Generic/Illusion)

Hometown: Giji (Midlands)

Personality: Having started with nothing and then losing even that, Luja has become extremely bitter over his own misfortune and the relative fortune enjoyed by normal people. He has a tendency to become even more bitter when in the presence of the rich or others whom he believes never had to work hard for what they have. He is also extremely jealous of these people, and his desire to stay out of the gutter forever drives him to take as much from them as he can. Luja has been jaded by his experiences, and as an extreme pessimist he will always consider the negative to the exclusion of any potential positive. His ultimate goal in life is to ensure a life of prosperity and opulence for himself, no matter the cost to other people -- as long as they don't find out it was his fault.

History: The son of a prostitute and a mugger, Luja was orphaned at an early age after his parents died to a plague that swept the slums of Giji. While the city was placed under quarantine in order to prevent the plague from spreading, Luja found himself on the streets and forced to take care of himself. His burgeoning experience of stealing failed him many times after that, leading to a lot of beatings and a lot more running away really fast. Left for dead with broken arms and legs after one particularly brutal beating, he would have starved to death had he not been discovered by a recruiter for Giji's newest attempt at a thieves' guild, the "Establishment for Illicit Activities". Luja eagerly accepted the offer of food, shelter and medical treatment in exchange for work, and soon found himself on the way to physical recovery.

He was placed on a team with four other boys his age -- the quiet and scheming Lib, the loud and violent Janan and the sarcastic and cruel Huin. The four of them were under the supervision of an older thief, the aging drunkard Jekkan. As they were the dregs of the Guild, the five of them formed a dsyfunctional family of sorts. This couldn't last, as they had to complete their "graduation" mission without Jekkan around to keep them under control. A disagreement sparked an argument, which in turn evolved into a fight. Janan knocked Luja unconscious and pounded Lib's skull into mush with his fists before Huin could restrain him. When Luja awoke and discovered that Janan had killed Lib, he became emotionally unstable and attempted to attack Huin in a fit of rage for not managing to protect Lib -- before receiving a kick to the stomach and being told that he had failed before Huin did.

With Janan -- now shunned from the Guild and only spared death because Jekkan called in a favour -- starting on a downward spiral of drugs, alcohol and despair and Huin applying to become an assassin, hoping that the emotional training and conditioning would allow him to banish his emotions forever, Luja found himself in a rut. "Team Jekkan" was disbanded forever, Jekkan himself became a laughing stock and Luja proceeded to eke out an existence with what he stole from his marks every night. Barely meeting the quota time after time, he was only shaked out of this mental state after an elderly target died on the spot in front of him. Taking what he could from the corpse, he found a book entitled "So You Want to Learn Magic" and attempted to use it. The words were a bit heavy-going for someone of his mental... talent, but Luja slowly began to make progress and learned several minor spells.

Though his original intention was to use the spells to become a better thief, he soon had an epiphany -- he could use them to *never* need to resort to theft again! The months passed, and Luja read more and more of the book -- understanding the earlier chapters better as he went. One night he left the city, telling only Jekkan of his intentions. Jekkan informed the Guildmaster -- its charismatic founder Chrinos -- of Luja's absence after his young protege left, which the Guildmaster considered to be good news indeed. After all, the only remaining member of Team Jekkan was proving a decent enough assassin. Signing up for the annual Hero Tournament during his travels -- without reading the fine print -- across Ashalai, Luja began his return to Giji for the first round of the Tournament by riding on a large, fallen log that he had pushed into a river he knew led directly home.

Things didn't go as planned however, and he was rescued from drowning by the night watchman of the Lorrel docks, the aging Ruad Fesara...

Notes: You were expecting a Loveable Rogue? Hah.

---

Name: Teganor

Species: Human

Profession: Healer

Magical Affinity: Divine (Restoration/Protection)

Hometown: Giji (Midlands)

Personality: Having lost his memory and forced to relearn everything, Teganor is an odd blend of curious optimism and fearful negativity. As much as he enjoys the unique opportunities his condition offers him -- and given what Denzo told him of the state of his body when he was brought to him, thankful for the second chance the legendary Jackal provided him with -- at the back of his mind is the nagging fear that he wouldn't want to know who he was previously. Occasional flashes of memory trouble him more than the moments of uncertainty however, as do the dreams of blood on his hands. His ultimate goal in life is to find out who he is, as even though he might not *want* to know, he knows he *needs* to know.

History: Teganor's first memory is of waking up in a strange building, with no knowledge of his identity or location. A victim of /retrograde/ amnesia, he found himself in the care of a much older healer -- Denzo -- and his daughter Jai. According to the healer, Teganor was brought in one rainy night by the legendary Tournament gladiator Zack von Parfu -- the infamous Jackal -- who paid for the young man's care with his reward for reaching the semi-finals of that year's Tournament that same day. Touched by the man's generosity and terrified of his threat of violence if the boy was neglected and the money embezzeled, Denzo used the most effective treatment methods he knew. Since they also happened to be the most expensive ones, the small sack of money came in handy.

Teganor was in a deep coma, and an extremely noxious cocktail of drugs and alcohol had damaged his body almost beyond repair. The task of purging his patient's body was a slow and steady affair, but nowhere near as slow and steady as the bodily reconstruction that followed. Denzo worked his way through Teganor's body piece by piece, repairing a vast amount of cellular damage and replacing entire internal organs and other pieces that were too damaged to repair. Luckily, his patient's brain had been spared most of the damage -- however, when he finally opened his eyes the boy had no memory of anything. Given the name "Teganor" -- a random non-word with no meaning at all -- by Jai, Teganor began to relearn *everything* from walking to talking.

Teganor and Jai formed a close friendship, and after he was declared fully healed Teganor asked Denzo for permission to become an apprentice healer partially so he could still be near her. Though Denzo was initially dismissive and set Teganor a number of challenges to test his perseverance, even he was forced to admit Teganor was serious after the twentieth soul-crushingly difficult and mind-numbingly boring task. Several years later, Teganor's training was in full swing. He had mastered the basics and started learning the advanced and draining method of using Divine magic to aid him in his job. Seeking to make a little extra money, he offered his services as a healer to the organisers of the Hero Tournament. Thanks to a bureaucratic mix-up however, he was mistakenly treated as a competitor and branded with the Seal of Participation, the runic tattoo branded onto the skin of all Tournament hopefuls with a spell that caused them more pain the further away from Giji they were during the Tournament.

Cursing his luck, Teganor decided to go along with things for the hell of it...

Notes: Possibly the most genuinely nice person in all of Estra -- at least to begin wtih -- and that's only because his mind had a Snap Back (I think it was) after a Kick the Dog moment.

---

Name: Elemi of the Many Claws

Species: Human

Profession: Druid

Magical Affinity: Elemental (Druidic/Old Earth)

Hometown: New Earthhenge (Council)

Personality: Elemi's personality has been formed mostly from the opinions of those around her and their doctrines. Azren's betrayal of the Order after spending many months away from them in a distant city was probably the biggest reason for her hatred of what civilisation was becoming -- at least, before she saw what Krenyan science had done to Magran's body. She follows the letter of the Order's teachings without thought for the intent, and in many ways she has been sheltered from the redeeming qualities of modern society.

History: The daughter of a hunter and a Druid -- the two had met when the former shot the latter when she was in animal form, believing her to be a potential dinner -- Elemi inherited her mother's penchant for shapeshifting. Groomed as a successor to her mother's position as an emissary between the "civilised" world and the few remaining "primitive" tribes, she preferred simply to hunt alongside her father, who taught her as much as her mother did about different subjects. Growing up in a rural environment and believing at least some of the anti-urban propaganda pervading Druidic culture at the time, it was only natural that Elemi would grow up with strong opinions on how humanity was ruining the planet.

These iron-clad opinions were further reinforced when a long-time family friend and fellow Druid, the channeler Azren Wuai, broke his oaths to their Order by attempting to forcibly draw mana from the planet into his body -- tearing himself asunder in the process -- and again when she met Magran Duvak, whom she saw as proof that the Krenyan's affinity for technology had made them evil. The end result was a racist and xenophobic Druid who followed the letter of the Order without regard for its intent. Elemi met Magran as a teenager in the Midland city of ___ while accompanying her mother on official Druid business. While she appreciated their need for a place to stay the night before moving onto their destination, she didn't understand how her mother -- in her eyes, a truly upstanding Druid -- could stand such a place.

Everywhere she looked she saw evidence of the evil nature of cities. A child and their pet? The enslavement of a pure spirit -- the animal's -- in the name of entertainment for a tainted one -- the child's. Industry? The destruction of nature in the name of "progress". Economy? The exploitation of the less-fortunate by merchants and businesses to line their own pockets with money. Nobility? Useless wastes of space, time and resources that could be better spent on other things. Her curiousity over her mother's lack of hatred for the place drove Elemi to explore the city to find out more about it, a decision which led to an alleyway confrontation between her and a young mugger.

Though she knew she could have handled the situation herself, she thanked -- it was only good manners to do so -- the young man who had found them and knocked the mugger unconscious from behind before slitting their throat to ensure they wouldn't try anything like that again. The young man was Magran, who had just arrived in the city himself. Elemi noticed he looked ill and in pain, and took him to see her mother. Her mother thanked him for helping her daughter, and took him to see a healer. A conversation between the three about family led to Elemi's mother offering to adopt Magran. When he refused, she changed her offer to that of recruitment into the Druidic Order. He agreed, and Elemi slowly grew to consider him a close friend. They spent the next several years in close proximity, and many of their friends and colleagues thought they were in a relationship.

When Magran decided he wanted to take part in the Hero Tournament as a test of his abilities despite the risk, Elemi decided it sounded like fun and went along with him...

Notes: I'd be lying if I said Miko wasn't an inspiration. That said, Elemi is more a Well-Intentioned Extremist than a Knight Templar.

---

Name: Magran Duvak

Species: Human/Genetic Experiment

Profession: Honourary Druid

Magical Affinity: N/A (Anti-Magic)

Hometown: Hearthdale (Krenya)/New Earthhenge (Council)

Personality: His experiences as a part of Project Spellbreaker have left Magran full of hate for Krenya and thankful to the Council for their part in his escape. As a result, the Druidic Order -- an establishment with relatively close ties to the Council itself -- has earned his respect and loyalty not just because of the help Elemi and her mother offered him. He's cynical and a jerk most of the time, but he acknowledges that he's succesfully rebuilding his life one brick at a time. He possesses a truly impressie Berserk Button -- woe betide anybody who dares threaten Elemi... He has no ultimate goal in his life, save the ultimate goal of FINDING an ultimate goal to replace his current ultimate goal.

History: The grandson of the Loraxia the Tidecaller, the Living Embodiment of Water, Magran was kidnapped as a child and scientifically experimented on by a team of Krenyan researchers working on the top-secret project "Project Spellbreaker". As one of their later test subjects -- Test Subject #50 to be precise -- Magran was subjected to procedures and techniques that had been refined and perfected with the death of each previous guinea pig. As a result, while his world was filled with pain and suffering, he did not die. He came close on multiple occasions, but it was never completely fatal. The scientists performed highly invasive surgery on him, carving deep grooves into his flesh and implanting a series of runes into the exposed holes.

He survived the whole affair, perhaps partially due to his heritage -- or perhaps his unending hatred of his captors drove him to survival out of sheer spite. Whatever the case, when Council agents finally tracked down the project's hidden base and laid waste to the laboratory, a teenage Magran managed to escape in the chaos and confusion. His body aching and his mind numb, he staggered his way toward the closest non-Krenyan settlement -- the Midland city of ___. There he met Elemi, and saved her from a mugger by knocking the fool unconscious and slitting their throat. She thanked him and insisted he come with her to meet her mother, and since he had nothing better to do he agreed. Somehow he wound up being seen by a healer and told there was nothing that could be done for his condition at all.

Equally confusing was precisely how a conversation soon after resulted in the offer of adoption. He told her he didn't want her pity, so she offered him employment. Without a way of earning money to pay for food, he eagerly agreed and soon found himself relocated to the northern village of New Earthhenge and employed as an "Honourary Druid". They spent the next several years in close proximity, with the Order's healers supplying Magran with ointments and salves for his ailments, and became so close that many of their friends and colleagues thought they were in a relationship. One day he decided to take part in the Hero Tournament and see how many spellcasters he could upset -- and see if there was a limit to his anti-magic abilities -- and was surprised to hear that Elemi wanted to come with him. He didn't try to persuade her not to, more out of an understanding that she wouldn't listen than anything else.

Notes: Magran's got very good reason to be a Jerkass. In fact, I'd go so far as to say he's got a Heart of Gold -- small, hard and yellow.

[Blayze]

Alright, time for a new comic.

Comic #0008 -- Now That's Just Cheating


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra8.png

[memnarch]

Ooo. Did you make those swords?

[Blayze]

I did the same thing I did for the AK-47s in the Prologue -- I Googled an image, pasted it into Inkscape and then traced over it with a bunch of shapes at 50% opacity. Had to simplify the sword design quite a bit, the one in the picture I found was a bit overcomplicated.

[Blayze]

To quote Captain Planet... I'm baaaaaaaaack!

Comic #0009 -- Not the First Time or the Last Time


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra9.png

[memnarch]

Is the invisibility thing a nod to how invisibility should work, or is he really just an idiot?

[Blayze]

Actually, it's both. He neglected to collect his clothes before turning invisible, and -- back when I first wrote this scene years ago -- I couldn't resist using what little scientific knowledge I actually have.

[Blayze]

Something slightly different from me today -- three panels of pure Luja and a small amount of information. Now if only Tolkien's works came in bitesize chunks...

Mini-Profile: Luja


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraLuja.png

[Blayze]

Stealing openly from The Q's idea, here's a brief look into the future of Estra! What makes this different from Q's version, I hear you ask? This is one scene, not a collection.

Onward!

Comic #0010 -- Future Sight: Cruel and Unusual Protagonists//Petty Criminal


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra10.png

[memnarch]

Oh, real mature. :smalltongue:

[Blayze]

Fun fact: My original idea for this comic was for the dialogue to consist entirely of "Shout Outs" (Read: Blatant theft of original lines). For instance, Doon's original first line was "His resistance to the mind probe is admirable. It will be some time before we can extract any information from him."

Boris would then follow with a rousing order of "You know what you doing."

Comic #0011 -- Whose Line is it Anyway?


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra11-1.png

[BRC]

*Gasp*
Unsavory Types!
Also, on the Art front, you've succsessfully drawn an OOTS style person in pants sitting in a chair without making it look really really weir. That's quite an achievement.

[Lyinginbedmon]

http://tf-2.fr/ach.php?a=Wearing the Pants&b=Effectively create a Burlewan character with realistic trousers&c=u&e=501&f=1&short

[memnarch]

http://tf-2.fr/ach.php?a=Wearing the Pants&b=Effectively create a Burlewan character with realistic trousers&c=u&e=501&f=1&short

Seconded. Nicely done! :smallcool:

[Blayze]

Aha, that's fantastic! Thanks! Anyway-

Comic #0012 -- Interior Design


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra12.png


I've increased the comic size from A4 to B4, and stretched the panels to fit. Hopefully that should make them more readable.

[Szilard]

That's a cool mind.

[Blayze]

A double update tonight, and Doon's mental journey continues -- but don't take tropes at face value.

Comic #0013 -- Dread Rok'tha'ru


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra13.png


Comic #0014 -- A Mind is a Terrible Thing With Haste


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra14.png

[Blayze]

Comic #0015 -- One-Up


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra15.png

[BRC]

Is it just me, or did the Mindwalker guy turn White between this comic and the last?

[Blayze]

You're right. I accidentally saved a blank version of my last file and had to use older copies of the character templates. I've fixed it now. Thanks for pointing it out, BRC! :)

[Green-Shirt Q]

Stealing openly from The Q's idea, here's a brief look into the future of Estra! What makes this different from Q's version, I hear you ask? This is one scene, not a collection.

:confused:

[Blayze]

When you were doing "My Name is Q", you did that look-ahead to various scenes in the future. Remember?

[Szilard]

:confused:

In My Name is Q, you occasionally showed glimpses into the future.

[Green-Shirt Q]

When you were doing "My Name is Q", you did that look-ahead to various scenes in the future. Remember?

Oh yes. I remember that. :smallbiggrin:

So, I invented the idea of the flash-forward? :smallconfused:

Anyho, I find this plot a little confusing, but I have really just scanned them. No offense. I will read more carefully and see if the plot makes more sense.

Keep up the good work.

[EDIT] I've read it again. It's still pretty confusing, but a lot less so. I think I get the plot more or less.

[Blayze]

Glad you feel less abiguated. Anyway, here's a new comic for you all! This time, instead of going back to the future, we're going... uh... forward into the... past.

Yeah.

Comic #0016 -- Dream 1//Chargrilled


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra16.png


I tried to do a "singed" effect with the ash, but it looks more like he polymorphed into a turd.

[memnarch]

Well, that's kinda what happens in some comics. You turn into a pile of ash. :smalltongue:

[Blayze]

Time for a little infodumping, methinks. I'm putting the groundwork together for the next comic, but since the characters involved are extremely poor, all they can really afford in terms of clothes are different shades of various drab colours, most of them hand-me-downs.

Sample: Guild Members


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Test.png


You see those six people?

One of them will die at the hands of a friend.
One will die alone and unloved.
One will be lost in grief.
One will disappear never to be seen again.
One will die to an assassin's blade.
One will be crushed by an unstoppable force.

I'll leave it to you guys to work out who has what fate. :P

For now however...

Infodump: On Orcs


-Infodump: Orcs-

When mana entered the world through the Terril Rift, it expanded outward in a highly concentrated eruption that turned the small coastal village into a smouldering crater of death and devastated the land for miles around. This area, known as the Wasteland, is entirely devoid of life save for the University of Magic that levitates above the Terril Crater to this day. Surrounding the Wasteland is the Green Belt, named such for the striking contrast between the lifelessness of the Wasteland and the verdant greenery in the land beyond -- but also for the green-tinted skin of the Orcish species who consider it to be their homeland. The first generation of Orcs began life as Humans, living in small rural settlements in the western coastal area of the kingdom of Mancuro.

When magic entered the world and the Wasteland was created, it did not stop expanding there. It covered the entire planet, its power diluting the further out it stretched. The original concept of Orcs began life as the mythological beings known as 'Orcas'. Different villages held them to be different things, from camoflagued hunters to the spirits of their deceased ancestors, but all held them to be their protectors. Thus, their collective thoughts turned to those protectors in their greatest hour of need, as a mysterious wall of death tore through the forest and enveloped entire villages in mere moments.

Those unlucky enough to be too close to Terril were flooded with enough magical energy to tear them apart, dissolving their bodies like acid. Those who were far enough away to not die initially felt no different, hailing their spiritual protectors as the reason for their continued survival. Over a period of weeks, however, illness began to take hold of village after village. Reports of intense physical agony were commonplace, and no amount of medicine could cure it. The skin of the infected began to change shade, dark-skinned people appearing paler by the day and pale-skinned people reporting an odd tan to their flesh -- the worrying factor in all cases was the sickly green tint that began to emerge...

---

As a rule, Orcs generally stand taller and wider than Humans. The nature of their 'creation', and the physical enhancements that it resulted in, ensure that even the most physically pathetic Orc is at least the equal of an average Human. Their muscles are larger and more powerful, they tire slower and can run faster and for longer than their Human counterparts. Their hyper-accelerated physical development comes at a high cost, however. The average lifespan of an Orc is roughly twenty-five years, during which time an Orc will perform as much physical exertion as a Human of twice their age. Orcs do not age faster than Humans, they merely die sooner -- a fact many part-Orcs hold as a measure of pride in their mixed heritage, claiming that they can enjoy their prime more since they won't end up as old, wrinkled and ugly as pure-blood Humans will, or die as quickly or as violently as pure-blood Orcs will. Most die due to heart attacks or other organ failures, their relatively tender internal organs eventually failing to keep up with the rest of their bodies.

The Orcish metabolism is a double-edged sword. Orcs may get over the effects of illness, disease, poison or intoxication far more quickly than Humans do, but they are affected by said effects far more than a Human is. A bottle of cheap potato cider might reasonably intoxicate the average Human for a period of several hours, during which time their level of intoxication would peak and trough slowly as every mouthful of alcohol makes its way through their body. The average pure-blood Orc, however, will be affected almost instantly. Their level of intoxication will spike sharply and then drop off again just as sharply in a matter of minutes. As such, Orcs who take to drinking must be very careful about the company they keep while doing so. Intoxicated Humans are affected slowly enough to still retain a majority of control over their motor -- and bodily -- functions, yet intoxicated Orcs can end up vomiting -- or worse -- within seconds of starting to drink.

As such, even the weakest of poisons designed for use on Humans can be fatal to Orcish bodies, yet anything that fails to kill them from within generally fades away within mere moments, leaving the Orc none the worse for wear. Orcs are also capable of physical regeneration, to the point where their blood sees common use in the creation of a variety of folk remedies for anything from illness to decapitation. Because of the nature of their physiology, medicines designed for Orcish use are measured out in doses according to how much of an Orc they are.

How much Orcish ancestry a person possesses is generally determined by the colour of their skin, although the same amount of Orcish ancestry in two different people can manifest itself as different tints of green. This process of determination is only made more difficult and complicated by the presence of an Orc's "original" skin colour. Orcs who would have been fair-skinned as a Human are more likely to possess skin of a lighter shade of green, and vice versa for Orcs who would have been dark-skinned. The colour of their skin is not the only way to determine a person's level of Orcish ancestry, however. Other commonly-used methods include measuring the size, length and prominence of their teeth and fangs, judging how muscular and stocky they appear to be and judging their raw physical strength.

Extremely short Orcs -- usually the result of sexual union between Orcs and Dwarves -- are commonly known as "Goblins". Their appearances are as varied as the Part-Orcs who are the result of sexual union between Humans and Orcs. However, the short stature of their Dwarven parent coupled with the stocky build of their Orcish parent usually results in the Goblin looking more like a small green barrel of muscles than anything else.

Because of their shortened lifespans, few Orcs decide to study more than the most basic of subjects. After all, who wants to waste their life when they could be enjoying it? This generally results in a tendency to feel restricted if they stay in one place for too long, feeling that there is so much to life that they are missing. This wanderlust, combined with their propensity toward avenues of employment that make use of their major advantages -- their physical strength, dexterity and hardiness -- and their general lack of education, have resulted in the stereotype of the dumb Orc.

Orcs are, however, no less prone to stupidity or genius than Humans are, and many find the negative depictions of themselves in popular media to be crude at best and offesive at worst. Many forms of entertainment aimed at Humans depict their Orcish characters as useless buffoons or thugs, incapable of intelligent or reasoned thought. Growing tensions between the Council of Magic and the kingdom of Mancurio have resulted in a rising social trend of Human supremacism, especially at the expense of Orcs as their ancestral lands act as a quasi-military buffer between the University of Magic and the armies of Mancurio, Krenya and the Midlands.

Though magic as a whole is mistrusted in the Krenyan Empire, Orcs are not -- as a whole -- disliked or detested. This is due in part to their natures as victims of circumstance, but also due to the fact that their origins have been scientifically analysed and documented to incredible levels. Orcs are most welcome -- outside of the Council lands -- in the Midlands, however. As the Midlands are a loose affiliation of various minor nations and city-states, no leader in that politically unstable region can afford the possibility of public outcry and/or political backlash over any displayed or implied mistrust or hatred of any species at all.

The Council of Magic, having obtained a large part of former Mancurio for their own use and being relative newcomers to the world's political stage, are in as precarious a position as any nation-state in the Midlands. Though their magical superiority is a foregone conclusion and their continued survival purchased through shady dealings, assassination, intimidation and extortion in order to dissuade the other nations from marching on their lands, they lack the bodies to throw at their enemise. As such, the Council's lands have always been open to Orcs as a gesture of goodwill in the face of a world that mistrusts and reviles them. In return, the Orcs -- and later Dwarves and Goblins -- who chose to live on the Council lands are seen as being under their protection in return for military support in case of invasion.

This mutually beneficial alliance has led to many Orcs moving north for the sole purpose of being among their own kind. As a result, Humans -- except for well-known members of the Council and their students -- are generally not welcome in the predominately Orcish settlements on Council lands. As always, the Orcs who live there span the entire range of emotional states, political and religious views and sentiments toward Humans. Some outright hate Humans, some dislike them and others merely mistrust them.

Though some Orcs -- as well as members of almost all species -- are enslaved across the world, mostly by Humans, a growing movement revolving around the perceived social enslavement of Orcs has emerged and dedicated itself to "freeing the green man", as it were. Most Orcs view their attempts with a mixture of humour and pity, and one notable Orcish artist recently drew a satricial comic in which a trio of slaves -- one a Dwarf, the second a Goblin and the other a Human -- bemoaned the fact that there existed morons who considered the colour of somebody's skin more important than whether or not they were slaves at all.

[Blayze]

Comic #0017 -- Dream 2//First Impact


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra17.png


This one might end up being the last Dream comic, but no way is it going to be the last flashback comic. :P

Fun Fact: There's a very good reason why I'm doing the flashbacks in greyscale. See if you can guess what it is.

[memnarch]

Did he die and come back to life panels 3 and 4? :smallconfused:

[Blayze]

Nah, I just prefer to use that expression when character have their eyes closed tightly -- for instance, when they've just been punted through a wooden door and are suffering from *slight* discomfort.

Were this a comic where I'd break or play with the fourth wall, I'd make at least one in-comic joke about how you can never be sure if they're dead or not if you go by their eyes...

[Szilard]

Coolio.:smallbiggrin:

[memnarch]

Nah, I just prefer to use that expression when character have their eyes closed tightly -- for instance, when they've just been punted through a wooden door and are suffering from *slight* discomfort.

Were this a comic where I'd break or play with the fourth wall, I'd make at least one in-comic joke about how you can never be sure if they're dead or not if you go by their eyes...

>_<


:smalltongue:

[Blayze]

Cute, Memnarch. Cute. :P

In other news, the next comic is here!

Comic #0018 -- The Dream is Over


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra18.png


Edit: Page size issues hopefully sorted!

[memnarch]

Thank ya. :smalltongue:


Also, that's one very sharp needle. :smallwink:

[Blayze]

Yes. Yes it is. As you can imagine, Doon and Boris share a professional hate-hate relationship. They hate each other both on a personal level and on a professional one, but they're professional enough not to be personal about it when there's an opportunity to pull a Bad Cop Bad Cop routine -- at least until one or the other breaks out the racial abuse. Just as Boris is known for his collection of short jokes, Doon is fond of reminding Boris that he's going to die young due to his heritage.

The two of them have hair triggers -- literally. The shotgun Boris carries is highly customised, and Doon's rather... touchy about the subject of his "receding" hairline.

Speaking of which...

Comic #0019 -- Not a Plot Hole


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra19.png


If you can guess where he acquired it from, you get both a cookie and a restraining order against invading my brain.

Also...

Wall o' Text: Magesight


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraMagesight.png

[Blayze]

I fancy doing some more world-building, but left to my own devices I'll likely veer off course and into a metaphorical field where the equally metaphorical farmer will take a shotgun to me.

That and the computer with my Inkscape files on it is slightly broken at the moment.

And so, I'm now answering questions and further building the world of Estra while I design the next comic so I can be ready for Inkscape once again.

[BRC]

Woah, I forgot to check this thread. Hello.

Anyway. I have a question for you. The people have a mage with them, but they grabbed Luja for being a mage, and Luja didn't exactly hide his magic from that old man. So Is Magic Illegal, as in the cops will try to bring you in if you use it. Restricted, as in you need a license or something similar to use it.Or is it just that Spellbreakers wander around finding and taking down Mages without any sort of government sanction, and nobody tries to stop them.

[Blayze]

The people have a mage with them, but they grabbed Luja for being a mage, and Luja didn't exactly hide his magic from that old man. So Is Magic Illegal, as in the cops will try to bring you in if you use it. Restricted, as in you need a license or something similar to use it.Or is it just that Spellbreakers wander around finding and taking down Mages without any sort of government sanction, and nobody tries to stop them.

Actually, they didn't arrest Luja for being a mage -- they arrested him for being an outsider. In a village as small as Lorrel, the community is very close -- and generally untrusting of outsiders to start with. Doon and Boris are this, but turned up to eleven. As such, any outsider stands out like a sore thumb. Initially, only Ruad saw him enter the village -- until he stated as such to the two nutcases in charge, they assumed he had entered via stealth somehow for some clearly nefarious purpose.

As for the use of magic, it differs from region to region, person to person and spell to spell.

-Region to Region-

The World Map (again)


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraActIWorldMap.png


Each of the four nations -- The Council, Mancurio, the Midlands and Krenya -- have a different attitute toward magic. It's the Council of Magic's main shtick, so they're obviously going to love it as it -- if only via the threat of the unknown -- keeps people from invading.

Once the threat of the unknown lessened, the threat of being immolated with but a thought also served the same purpose.

-Mancurio-

Mancurio is a pro-magic nation, at the very least because it lets them compete with Krenya's technological advances. It is not, however, an Orc-friendly nation. This began in the initial days after magic's discovery, when King Rorland the First received reports of entire villages stricken by "some kind of illness" (As the messenger had put it). Not wanting to risk further outbreak and with no way of curing it in sight, he sent units to said villages to "remove the problem".

Word got out, and as the "problems" in question didn't want to die, they fought back. The whole situation escalated to open warfare as the Orcs' bodies continued to develop and turn green, so it was only natural that further Mancurian troops sent to quell the uprising would believe that the villagers were being used as some kind of weapon. The Orcs, on the other hand, believed that they were being victimised for something that wasn't their fault.

By the time the Council of Magic was in full swing -- just before the Mage War, actually -- the Orcs' drastically reduced lifespans had ensured that lots of generations of Orcs had grown up resentful of Mancurians. The Orcish villages had previously banded together to protect themselves from Mancurian attack, so it was easy enough for them to convince each other that allying with the Council was a good idea.

-Krenya-

Krenya is a technologically-focused nation, and as such you'd expect they'd distrust and fear magic more than anyone else. This couldn't be further from the truth. Most normal Krenyans simply generally don't use magic, believing magic to be a fad and technology to be superior. They fear the potential of magic, and certainly work toward defending themselves from it should magic-users ever attack -- the reasoning behind Project Spellbreaker, of course -- but Krenya is a nation founded on the principle of understanding what makes stuff work.

As such, magic is just another thing to be explained with the aid of science. Equally so, the Orcs are a project of magic and therefore a product of science. As a result, a portion of the Krenyan scientific community has dedicated their efforts toward finding a way to reverse the "Orcification" process. Indeed, an Orc can make a pretty penny offering the use of their body to further the cause of Krenyan science, but most talk themselves out of it as they never know how many pieces their body will end up in by the end in the name of science or if it will even be recognisable any more.

-Midlands-

As the Midlands are a collection of minor countries and nation-states, every attitude on magic and Orcs from good to bad exists between its many hopeful rulers. The constant need to maintain good PR demands that all involved maintain an outward appearance of being pro-everything, but to not go overboard in any way lest they be called on it by any of those who secretly harbour a negative attitude toward any of the subjects that said rulers must merely either smile and nod at or look contrite and publically denounce.

-Spell to Spell-

The Council of Magic, being the world's foremost -- and only -- self-professed authority on magic, keeps tight control over both spellcasters and the spells they cast. The Inner Circle -- namely the highest-ranking five -- constantly re-evalute every spell that has ever come to the attention of any of their agents. Possible criminal uses are debated back and forth, and a verdict reached eventually as to the new legal status of that spell -- or occasionally, that entire branch of spells.

The Council is not quite as strict and overbearing as its detractors would have you believe, however -- or if they are it's usually with good reason. For instance, the Summoning Aspect allows almost instant travel. To prevent the inept from accidentally opening portals within another person's body -- which would tear said person apart and deposit their remains over a wide area -- as well as to prevent entire armies led by anti-magic generals from suddenly appearing in the Council's own back yard and laying waste to them, the Council leases the use of most Summoning spells to businesses who make their money offering cheap travel between locations to individuals and other businesses and bans all other use.

The Council has only ever met with the intention of banning the use of entire Aspects twice in its history. The first time was during the Mage War, when the pyromancer Tiax -- driven mad by grief and anger following the accidental slaughter of many of his friends -- slaughtered his way through many of his fellow spellcasters in search of revenge. The second time was after the formation of the initial team of Elementals, when they were ordered to investigate a spate of kidnappings taking place in the University of Magic itself.

The first time they merely restructured the entire Elemental School, declared their previous efforts of control inadequate and decided to become more proactive in the fight against the misuse of magic. The second time, they banned the use of Transmutation magic outright.

The current status of each Aspect is...

-Arcane-

Enchantment: Cursed items are completely illegal, which led to the death of the novelty magical item industry. All other spells are just as tightly regulated as illusions.
Generic: Not a specific grouping of spells based on a common theme, so each spell must be evaluated separately. Most are more practical than anything, which all but ensures they don't get banned.
Illusion: Borderline illegal, but the chance of a given spell being illegal increases the higher the Type number. Type I spells project images, Type IIs befuddle senses and Type IIIs are rumoured to alter reality. The third is *always* illegal.
Summoning: Under the strictest regulation and leased out for business use only.
Transmutation: Banned entirely due to the kidnapping and slaughter of many Enchantment students.

-Divine-

Curses: The name is misleading, as many Curses are actually beneficial -- "Remove Fear", for one -- but the Aspect has far more negative spells than positive ones -- and given the potential of spells such as "Bestow Childhood Trauma", as a whole the Cursed Aspect has more banned spells than most.
Protection: Every last Protection spell revolves around -- funnily enough -- protecting people from harm. While Divine-type criminals often use these spells to protect themselves as they commit crimes, there is nothing directly linking the Protection Aspect's spells to criminal activities.
Restoration: While this Aspect is used by healers and therefore assumed to be the greatest thing since the Generic spell "Slice Bread", spells used to heal directly can also be used in reverse. Bones can be broken instead of set, wounds can be opened, holes can suddenly appear through a person's body and entire spinal cords can become lodged in brains. As such, criminal use of this Aspect's spells is heavily punished.
Wrath: Given that this Aspect is purely about risking one's death to cause destruction via the aid of magical overload, it's not surprising that the Council have banned a fair few of its "more dangerous" spells.

-Elemental-

Air, Earth, Fire and Water: The four initial Elemental Aspects were restructured -- in other words, repackaged and sold as improved versions -- and turned into the Gas, Liquid, Solid and Temperature Aspects. The idea hasn't really caught on.
Druidic: Not technically an Aspect, as Druidic magic is the evolution of the remnants of the Earth Aspect. The Council keeps a wary eye on the Druids, but they are allowed to go about their business as their business is fighting against the misuse of magic.

-Person to Person: Spellbreakers-

Spellbreakers are not, as many think, purely Krenyan. Almost every military force on the planet -- bar the Council of Magic -- has at least a handful on staff -- most those who willingly went through the procedure -- to deal with magical threats, but there are just as many rogue ones who pursue their own agendas. One can never be too sure as to their motives anyway, and so most spellcasters do not engage in public displays of magic on the off chance they encounter one who would want to kill them for using magic.

---

In other words: Magic is mistrusted almost everywhere across the world. In some places and by some people it is hated, and there's always the chance of coming across someone who might want to kill you for using it. That's why most spellcasters don't use magic in the open. As for why Luja used his in public? Stupidity.

[BRC]

Interesting, very interesting. The "Restructuring" of the elemental aspects sound suspiciously like they just slapped new names on things and said "It's different, really!"

[Blayze]

That's exactly what happened. A few spells were shifted around because of the name change -- for example, all the cold-related spells of the Water Aspect were shunted into the Temperature Aspect, leaving Liquid with just the spells that were directly water-related.

The whole affair (And indeed, every authority and organisation in Estra) was directly influenced by my own workplace -- my local council. The high-ups paid an ungodly sum of money for a woman to come over from New Zealand and meddle with the council's organisational structure.

Months of chaos later, lots of people had been fired or had ended up with no job to return to. Barely anything had been changed, and said New Zealand woman was paid another ungodly sum of money to go on "gardening leave" -- which means she was paid off to leave without a fuss, and I think she might still be on the payroll.

That means she has some blackmail evidence on one of the high-ups -- most likely the mayor.

[Blayze]

A thought occurs. Just because I don't have access to my current templates at the moment, it doesn't mean I can't "draw" anything.

To that end, here's another part of the story. If all goes to plan, I should be able to work on both parts at the same time, given that the two are set quite some time apart.

-Act VI -- The Second Rift-

Comic #0000 -- Cover


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraAct6.png


Comic #0001 -- Jailbreak


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra2_1.png

[memnarch]

Big comics. Maybe try resizing them in the future?

[Blayze]

I would, but I prefer working in B4 over A4 -- A4 just feels more cramped. Are they stretching screens at that size, though?

[memnarch]

While I can view the whole comic if I move the page over, I had meant resizing the image after you were done making it. Might not be possible i guess; I just remembered that resizing images like that doesn't always turn out nice.

[Blayze]

Well, I've got my template file back so Act III can continue, but this comic practically wrote itself at work so I had to comply with its desire.

Act VI
Comic #0002 -- Starfleet Reject

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra2_2.png


Edit: Forgot spoiler tags.

Also, light sources!

[Blayze]

Remember when I said I was saving the rest of the Prologue for later?

This is why.

-Act VI-
Comic #0003 -- Our Elves are Better

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra2_3.png

[Szilard]

O noes! A naked elf! :smalleek:

[memnarch]

uhh.... seems feral.

[Blayze]

That's Elves for you. They're "creatures of the forest" taken to the nth degree. Elves are literally animals in humanoid form. Humans often try to enslave them -- sometimes attempting to take them as sexual slaves -- but an Elf can never be tamed or broken. All it takes is a single moment of laxity and the Elf will break free from their chains and descend upon their former owner and everyone in the area with their characteristic frenzy, sating whatever urges they have at the time -- usually involving tearing out the throats of the living with their teeth.

That one -- the one in the comic at the moment -- can only speak due to the effects of magic. After all, it's easier to terrify your enemies if your pet monsters can articulate their desires when you unleash them.

On another note, it appears the Calligraphy tool lags Inkscape.

[Blayze]

A bit of a quick one, but meh -- Ahma gets to destroy something and that's fine by me. :P

-Act VI-
Comic #0004 -- Insurance Policies

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra2_4.png

[Szilard]

Awesome. :smallbiggrin:

[Blayze]

Back to Act III for now. If all goes well for him, Luja might finally be on his way out of Lorrel without incident.

But then again, Salamanders and Goblins can both smell magic... and even if they don't discover him, the path that leads him home has one last trick to play regardless.

-Act III-
Comic #0020 -- Trousers are Difficult Sometimes


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra20.png


-Salamanders-


Their bodies infused with raw Fire magic, Salamanders are Humans whose bodies were altered by the power that overwhelmed them. Just like Orcs, Dwarves and Goblins, they are not welcome on Mancurian soil and often treated as test subjects in Krenya.

A common stereotype of a Salamander is of an emotionally-charged, angry thug brimming with hate. A recent scientific study on the subject has put forth a number of potential answers -- first, that there are certain qualities and traits innate to each type of magic, and overexposure brings out those same traits in the living.

Second, that the presence of such stereotypes regarding each type of magic in the first place is what causes individuals to believe they are being mentally altered as such, thus they come to embody those traits simply because they think they are.

Third, that it's all a load of Troglodyte dung.

[memnarch]

Not quite the clean getaway he hoped for then. :smalltongue:

[Blayze]

One thing about Luja -- bad things seem to happen when he's around, whether to himself or to others. One might even suspect there to be a reason behind it all...

Edit: And no, that's not anything to do with the Fourth Wall. Estra's Fourth Wall is perfectly, completely intact. No, this is an entirely in-universe hint... and it has something to do with the nature of the Creator.

[Blayze]

You'll be seeing a lot more of the Kill Counter in the future. It will rarely have a question mark.

-Act VI-
Comic #0005 -- Critical Failure

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra2_5.png

[BRC]

You know. Filling up your entire comic with the color red is cheating.

[Blayze]

I prefer to refer to it as "creative use of opacity, gradients and blur". :P

[BRC]

I prefer to refer to it as "creative use of opacity, gradients and blur". :P
Alright, analyzing this comic.

The death toll counter. From the events of the comic itself, one would have no reason to doubt the deaths of the two crewmembers. The device has been stated to be dangerous, and it's killbeams were filling up the hallway.

But by placing the question mark there, you imply that one or more of the crewmembers still lives. Nobody would have wondered had you not placed the question mark, or had you left the counter off entierly.

Unless, of course, you are just screwing with us, and they are both dead.

[memnarch]

What an idiot. I mean, sure, it was a powerful weapon and whatnot, but it lacks the "Oomph" of dying by explosive. :smalltongue:

[Blayze]

Unless, of course, you are just screwing with us, and they are both dead.

One word: Boolean.


What an idiot. I mean, sure, it was a powerful weapon and whatnot, but it lacks the "Oomph" of dying by explosive.

Just wait until you see what it does to the rest of the ship. Prototypes are dangerous for a reason, especially ones invented by Gretchi. There's a reason the threat of it being used was enough to get Rugar out of bed to help.

[Blayze]

A thought occurred to me the other day: I believe my characters are too large, and of slightly improper proportions to suit OotS-style effectively. After all, I seem to be getting fewer and fewer panels these days and they seem to be getting larger and larger. Let's see if I can fix that.

Also, I've altered the page size to what I assume is roughly a Rich standard -- 700px x 937px. Even with the white space Rich fits around his comics, it should still be plenty of space for me.

Let's do this.

-Act VI: The Second Rift-
Comic #0006 -- Operation Pyrrhus

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra2_6.png

[memnarch]

Slightly confused as to what happened the last couple of panels.

[Blayze]

Looks like I'll need to add a "Three years previously..." box somewhere in the second-to-last panel, and make it more obvious that she's in jail.

[BRC]

Operation Phyruss dosn't sound like it will end well. My guess is that it will succeed, but at too great a cost.

[Blayze]

It's just a fancy name for a Scorched Earth policy -- but since this is the future, it involves more explosions and lasers.

Anyway, I've replaced 2_6 with the new version. Does it make more sense now, Memnarch? :)

[memnarch]

Yep! Much more sense more. :smallsmile:

[Blayze]

-Act VI-
Comic #0007 -- Divide and Conquer

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra2_7.png


Experimented with the "Negative" option in Inkscape. I think it turned out rather well. Also, more naked Elves. And feel free to hate me on the Death Counter. :D

[memnarch]

Where did the knife come from?

[Blayze]

From an invisible assassin. On the ceiling. :)

Edit: Worked him into the comic. Also, removed Ayanna's "glowy arm" magic effect as it looked stupid and added the assassin's death into the Counter. :)

Time for a minor infodump, methinks.

---

-Elemental Overlap-

Scrayal is the Elemental of Fire. As a result, he can cast spells of Fire, Magma and Temperature.
Ayanna was the Elemental of Air. As a result, she could cast spells of Air, Weather and Druidism.
Jozam is the Elemental of Earth. As a result, he can cast spells of Earth, Druidism and Magma.
Vae is the Elemental of Water. As a result, she can cast spells of Water, Temperature and Weather.

Despite their very natures locking them out of casting spells from other Elements, the Elementals do enjoy some overlap with each other. For example, Scrayal is the Elemental of Fire. As a result, he can cast Fire spells. However, he can *also* manipulate temperature -- a feat Vae, as the Elemental of Water, can also replicate. Though the majority of her known spells are used to make things colder and his make things warmer, all it takes is a few alterations to the structure of a spell and they can do the exact opposite roughly as well as their counterpart can.

Just as the results can vary depending on which Elemental attempts a particular spell, the methods they use to create the same effects differ as well. For example, both Jozam and Scrayal can manipulate magma. In Jozam's case, he drags the magma up from underground. Scrayal, however, must superheat available ground and stone and hope it moves where he wants it to. Vae and Ayanna each manipulate weather patterns in their own way. For example, Ayanna could cause torrential rain by manipulating rainclouds, whereas Vae can replicate a hurricane or cause thunder and lightning by dragging those same clouds around by the water they contain.

Finally, although Druidic magic is an offshoot of Earth magic, Ayanna proved capable of replicating roughly half of its spells using her own methods. Quite how she did it is unclear, and when asked she would always reply that she was "under an NDA".

-Spell Spotlight-

Name: Light of a Thousand Stars
Nicknames: Corona, Sunspot, Starflare, over a thousand other unimaginative other nicknames using words such as "sun", "star", "flare", "shine", "glow", "moon", "glory" and "light".
Element: Earth/Druidic

Description: An extreme variation of a classic Earth spell used to enhance photosynthesis, this spell is used primarily to blind opponents. However, certain casters -- those with access to incredible stockpiles of mana -- can use it to incinerate enemies outright, burning and searing every cell and atom of their bodies into oblivion.

Origin: When the Earth Aspect's home of Earthhenge was razed to the ground by Krenyan forces during the Mage War, Belderoc and Arianna deVan found themselves trapped in the lower levels of the burning fortress. They survived and escaped thanks to their own ingenuity, especially when it came to alternate applications for many of their non-combat spells. This is one of the spells they "discovered".

[Blayze]

-Act VI-
Comic #0008 -- Scrayal's Betrayal

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Estra2_8.png


Trousers just seem to get more and more difficult to draw. :P

[memnarch]

Hm, what just happened? Seriously, the comic seems rather confusing. The Hero Tournament wasn't too bad, but the prologue and IV(?) act were.

[Blayze]

Damn, thought I was doing well. What are the most confusing parts for you, Memnarch? Might need to go back and edit stuff if you say "Everything". :P

[memnarch]

I'll see if I can pick specific things out.

[memnarch]

Well, the first thing is the fact that the story
Started out in space with Earth getting invaded.
The next act is act III, which is usually Roman Numerals for 3, leaving me wondering where acts 1 and 2 are.
Then act VI (6) starts meaning acts 4 and 5 are missing.
It also starts with a trapped super magic user apparently.
{next comic} Five years later from what?
Wait, what? Are we back in space now or something?
Hey, wait a minute; wasn't that black hair, white outline woman just in the magic.... side story? whatever act 3 was.
And she's now in space for some reason too.
Random blueshirt Scrayal Elerin
Previous count was either 4 or 6, but it's now 5.5. Which makes no sense as someone/thing is either dead or alive. Or undead. (nothing can be half-dead)
Random pink hair lady is shown getting killed by "elves".
Back to blueshirt Elerin, who is getting mindwiped for some unknown reason.

Bolded is level of confusion.

Number 1 is odd, because the 3rd act is magic and on a planet. Or maybe it's that the third act that should be listed because it doesn't really fit with the other "in space" acts. moderate
Numbers 2 and 3 are the act numbers and the missing acts. minor/major, depending on what's missing.
Number 4 is the one page not that much explanation. minor
Number 5; the time skip from an unknown time. Right now, seemingly whatever time #4 is taking place in. minor to moderate
Number 6 is the rough, no transition between land-magic story and space-invention/magic story. moderate
Numbers 7 and 8; ok, this person is in this story as well, but no explanation why. minor to moderate, depending on future comics.
Numbers 9 and 11 are odd in the fact that I, as a reader, don't know who they are or why I should really care that they are part of the story. In pink-hair's case, killed by some monster thing called an "elf". moderate
Number 10; kill counter is a random artifact in the comic text boxes, but it doesn't seem consistent. minor
Number 12 is the blue shirt apparently getting some mysterious background. I'm not sure why I should be worried that his allies are going to be mad at him. minor

Also, a just-bugs-me; the sizes of weapons seem a little small. Try making them bigger.


I tried to be complete and I hope it doesn't seem too harsh. http://www.mspaintadventures.com/phpBB3/images/smilies/icon_neutral.gif
Some sort of plot-hook, if you will, to draw the reader in would be nice.

[Blayze]

* Number 1 is odd, because the 3rd act is magic and on a planet. Or maybe it's that the third act that should be listed because it doesn't really fit with the other "in space" acts. moderate

Noted. I'll get back to the Prologue and show planetfall.


* Numbers 2 and 3 are the act numbers and the missing acts. minor/major, depending on what's missing.

Ah. Once I've finished the Prologue -- shouldn't be much more of that, I don't think -- I'll start with Act I. Act IV follows on directly from Act III, so I can't start that yet.


* Number 4 is the one page not that much explanation. minor

I'll stick another comic in there showing what happens directly after she gets out -- as well as a bit of flashback on her part. It won't explain much without Acts 3-5 concluding, but still...


* Number 5; the time skip from an unknown time. Right now, seemingly whatever time #4 is taking place in. minor to moderate

I'll edit the text to explain further.


* Number 6 is the rough, no transition between land-magic story and space-invention/magic story. moderate

This is one I can honestly say will become evident very soon. I think I'll make a "silent" comic (Well, except for captions explaining stuff as in "Where are they now?") before the next part of Act 6.


* Numbers 7 and 8; ok, this person is in this story as well, but no explanation why. minor to moderate, depending on future comics.

Well, she's not the same person as in Act III -- for starters, the Act III character is a man. :P I'll be more careful about including characters who look similar in the future. On a related note, I need to get some more hairstyles for my characters.


* Numbers 9 and 11 are odd in the fact that I, as a reader, don't know who they are or why I should really care that they are part of the story. In pink-hair's case, killed by some monster thing called an "elf". moderate

Hmm. Looks like time for more characterisation, if only through flashbacks.


* Number 10; kill counter is a random artifact in the comic text boxes, but it doesn't seem consistent. minor

It might not seem it, but it *is* consistent -- especially when you consider that 5.5 means either one person is dead and the other is half-dead, or that both of them are three-quarters dead. ;)


* Number 12 is the blue shirt apparently getting some mysterious background. I'm not sure why I should be worried that his allies are going to be mad at him. minor

This is another point I can safely say will be explained soon, although in hindsight I could have done it better.

Thanks for the information, Memnarch! Time to start adding some stuff into the comic to make it make more sense. :)

[memnarch]

Ah. Once I've finished the Prologue -- shouldn't be much more of that, I don't think -- I'll start with Act I. Act IV follows on directly from Act III, so I can't start that yet.Ok, more explanation is good. But now I'm wondering "Why did you start Acts 3 and 6 before finishing the prologue?" :smallconfused:
I'll stick another comic in there showing what happens directly after she gets out -- as well as a bit of flashback on her part. It won't explain much without Acts 3-5 concluding, but still... A good reason why comics tend to be written in chronological order.

I'll edit the text to explain further.
Just remember; wall-o-text isn't a good thing for a comic. :smalltongue:

Well, she's not the same person as in Act III -- for starters, the Act III character is a man. :P I'll be more careful about including characters who look similar in the future. On a related note, I need to get some more hairstyles for my characters.Oh. Well, more hairstyles and clothing colours will certainly help.

It might not seem it, but it *is* consistent -- especially when you consider that 5.5 means either one person is dead and the other is half-dead, or that both of them are three-quarters dead. ;)Still makes no sense to me as something cannot be half dead, much less three-quarters dead.

Thanks for the information, Memnarch! Time to start adding some stuff into the comic to make it make more sense. :) Quite welcome. :smallcool:

[Blayze]

But now I'm wondering "Why did you start Acts 3 and 6 before finishing the prologue?"

I started Act III because it was the one I knew the most about, it being the one I had the most content for. I started Act VI because I didn't have access to my Act III files -- most notably the template file where I store all my Inkscape, well, templates -- for a while.


Just remember; wall-o-text isn't a good thing for a comic.

Should only require the tweaking of a couple of sentences here and there. :P


Still makes no sense to me as something cannot be half dead, much less three-quarters dead.

It's a play on words. At least around here, "half-dead" is a term used to describe a feeling of extreme tiredness. I just gave it a numerical value and used it in a literal sense -- put simply, I tried to Discworld it and failed. :P

[memnarch]

I started Act III because it was the one I knew the most about, it being the one I had the most content for. I started Act VI because I didn't have access to my Act III files -- most notably the template file where I store all my Inkscape, well, templates -- for a while.
Ah. Ok then.


It's a play on words. At least around here, "half-dead" is a term used to describe a feeling of extreme tiredness. I just gave it a numerical value and used it in a literal sense -- put simply, I tried to Discworld it and failed. :P Ah.... sorry then.

[Blayze]

Time to finish the Prologue off. Once that's done I'll move onto Act I and then II -- "Rise of the Council" and "The Mage War" respectively.

-Prologue: Flight of the Vigilant-
Comic #0006 -- Planetfail

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraPlanetfallFont10.png


I lowered the font size from 12 to 8. Is it too small? If so, I'll increase it to 10 and see how that works.

Edit: Increased font size to 10. That better?

[CrimsonAngel]

to small. :smallsigh:

[memnarch]

If you're thinking 12 is the default size on inkscape... it not. 22 is.

So.... maybe you should try 14 or 16.

That out of the way on darker coloured backgrounds, like the magenta one, try using white so it's easier to read.

[Blayze]

Even 12 was too small? Seriously? Damn. Any larger and it'll feel like I'm writing a book, the text bubbles will be that big.

[Szilard]

I can read it just fine, I don't see everyone elses' problem.

[memnarch]

I can read it as well, but it's a bit small. Mostly it's the choice of box colour that's the problem.

[Blayze]

Changed the colours of the text boxes to brighter ones. Does the text show up better?

[memnarch]

Oh yah. Lots better.

[Blayze]

The Captain has his moments. Let's hope the next one doesn't happen in-between bounts of up-chucking.


-Prologue: Flight of the Vigilant-
Comic #0007 -- Naming Convention

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraPlanetfall2.png


Since the Prologue's finished, the next part of the story I'll work on is Act I. If I can get Zweanslord's permission to use the comics he drew for me, I can post them and skip a small portion of the start of the Act in the process. :)

[Blayze]

I managed to get permission from Zwean today -- gotta love having a week off work -- so here's the start of Act I. Looking back on these, you can really see the difference between our respective skill and experience with Inkscape and drawing in general. :P

Comic #0000 -- Title

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraActFailTitle.png


Credit for outstanding work goes to Zweanslord for the following seven comics. :)

Comic #0001 -- His Full Name is Feargus the Fearful

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraBirth1.jpg


Comic #0002 -- Apply Boot Directly to Door

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraBirth2.png


Comic #0003 -- Don't Read From the Book!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraBirth3.png


Comic #0004 -- Pandora's Spatial Disturbance

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraBirth4.png


Comic #0005 -- I'm the Captain, I Don't Need to Know!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraBirth5.png


Comic #0006 -- Angry Faceship

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraBirth6.png


Comic #0007 -- Textdump Crits Alderaan for Massive Damage

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraBirth7.png


Now that's out of the way, you guys have a choice:

Option One: Rise of the Council.

I extend and focus on Act I and see how far that goes before Act II begins. There's very little action available with this option, but it's an arc revolving around understanding magic -- or at least, the assumptions and discoveries the characters make as they try to understand it -- so it might help answer some questions you might have.

Option Two: The Mage War.

I move directly to Act II and focus on that. This option has a lot more action, and it will certainly make the Death Counter go crazy. It'll explain different things to Option One, and should end up tying into Act III fairly easily.

[Szilard]

Option one sounds good.

[memnarch]

I like linear plots. I pick option one.

[Blayze]

The story is actually linear either way, it's just the order in which I get to stuff. :P

[memnarch]

Well i like reading the comic in a linear fashion. Flashbacks ok; flashbacks+flashforwards not so much.

[Blayze]

Let's get to it. Fiona, you're up.

-Act I-
Comic #0008 -- The Aftermath

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraActFail1.png

[Blayze]

Alert: The human refuse has recently collided with the cooling device. Repeat: The human refuse has recently collided with the cooling device.

-Act I-
Comic #0009 -- Arise, Fiona

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/EstraActFail2.png

[Blayze]

Dual-purpose update time! Not only was it a guest comic, but it also serves to further the plot (Sort of). Incredible!

-Act I-
Comic #0010 -- Warp!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/Blayze/Secret/EstraActFail3.png


Thanks again for my comic, Hacktor. :)

[Shadow_Elf]

Colour me confused. What exactly is going on? I went through the prologue, and Act 1, and I have no idea what is going on. There's spaceships, and backstory about alien deathstars, and villagers investigating cursed libraries and some crazy woman with magic being attacked by an assailant trying to prevent her from learning magic.

Did I miss something important?

By the way, I really like much of the art, and the jokes, especially the redshirts at the control panel one.

[Blayze]

Probably not. Guess I am better with stories than I am with comics. If I'm making it difficult to follow, should I just turn it into a story again?

[Hacktor]

it would be lovely :D

[Blayze]

It would appear that writing this stuff has become easier. Perhaps I'm getting used to a more standard way of writing, rather than the "I don't want to write 'he said' and 'she said' any more" style I resorted to last time. Perhaps it's because I understand my characters better. Perhaps it's because I don't have to do much on-the-fly worldbuilding as part of the story, because I've already done most -- if not all -- of it beforehand.

Whatever the reason, here's a 'sneak peek' (So to speak) at what I've got written so far. I'll keep going until I've got enough for a book, then probably give it its own topic. I've been contemplating adding pictures. I think I will do.

There's likely going to be spelling errors in there. Despite my best efforts at correcting what mistakes I find, it's easier to find errors in someone else's work.

Oh, and the title? "Estra -- Kicking Fantasy in the Face". It'll do for now, but it was either that or "When Fantasy met Reality". Or possibly "Kryptonite for the Fantasy Genre".


Prologue
Chasing Shadows

The shouts and cries of outrage echoed behind him in the dark, deserted streets. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how fast he ran, he could never seem to outpace his pursuers. Even attempting to lose them by ducking down alley after alley didn’t help; they always seemed to be right behind him. They sound familiar...

“There he is!” someone shouted as he dashed across a dimly lit plaza. “Get him!” With a collective roar that bordered on the bestial; what sounded like a thousand heavy footfalls added to the number already chasing him. He turned a corner, panic overwhelming him and freezing his feet to the floor as he realised his mistake.

Oh no, he thought. Not this place. Not again. The building was innocuous, clearly nothing special, but then again he knew that was the whole point. He tried to move his legs, but they wouldn’t respond. Come on! Work with me here! I can’t-

A heavy object suddenly collided with the back of his head, sending him flying to the ground like a puppet without strings. He crashed into the rough, cold, hard cobblestones face-first, a sudden sharp crunching noise – and accompanying painful snap – all the evidence he needed that his nose had just broken in a rather spectacular fashion. His lower body flew up and over as he performed a macabre somersault, landing with a painful thud on his back. A back that – mercifully – did not feel broken. Yet.

He had never bothered to look at his pursuers before, considering the mystery of their identities secondary to the rather more important matter of his continued breathing. Now, however, all he could do was stare. Lib? But he’s dead!

The crowd was identical in every way, the bodies of full-grown men but the faces of children – of one boy in particular. Blood streamed down each face from the right eye socket, completely devoid of its eye. The left side of each face bore a very familiar injury, crushed almost beyond recognition from the way the skull had caved in – he knew those injuries better than his own maladies – and each figure wore an expression of unrelenting hatred as they approached their prone victim.

“Lib! It’s Luja! Please!” Nothing. Not one flicker of sympathy or empathy. If anything, more hatred. Luja tried to struggle to his feet, only to discover he couldn’t move his body. He tilted his head to look at his body as best he could, wondering how his neck hadn’t broken during either the attack or the subsequent fall. At some point during the fall, his left arm had bent at an unnatural angle at the elbow, and the most he could get out of it was limited motion in his fingers.

His right arm was equally useless, reduced to a bloody stump somehow. His legs were no better, and witnessing their state killed off any hope he had for escape. His right leg had atrophied to the point where merely standing on it would be a miracle and risk breaking it, whereas his left leg was completely unusable.

A large bone protruded from the skin of his left shin, exposed to the cold night air. Despite himself, he couldn’t help but wonder where those injuries had come from. The broken arm and leg he could understand, but the others...

The blood slowly flowed out from his various injuries, as the many Libs approached with identical looks of sadistic glee and murderous hatred on their faces. “It wasn’t me!” he implored them. “Janan did it! He knocked me out! I didn’t kill you!” He was hysterical, tears running down his cheeks as gravity took hold. The tears mingled with the river of blood that had begun to form on the cobblestones, but barely diluted it.

“Luja...” the Libs chorused, the tone of their collective voice dripping with malice. He tensed, awaiting the torture that surely awaited him at the hands of this... this horde. This can’t be real! It must be an illusion! It has to be! Yet fear made him cringe more, and he struggled to breathe as the blood rose above his ears and flooded his eyes, nose and mouth.

He couldn’t see. He couldn’t breathe. He could hear – just – however, although he wished he couldn’t. His last memory was of that voice, that damnable voice...

“Why does everybody you know end up dead?”


Chapter I
The Wayward Soul

(Excerpt)

Luja woke with a start, gasping for air heavily. What felt like his entire body was covered in sweat. He pushed himself into a sitting position instinctively, then realised that his limbs were intact. A dream, then? Feh. More like a nightmare. It was only then that he started to take notice of his surroundings, a stupid mistake – one only a novice would make, in fact. The old man would have my head if he knew. Luja managed a small grin.

“Ah, you’re awake.” He instantly reacted, pulling his dagger from its concealed sheath and – or rather, he would have done... had he been wearing clothes. Springing to his feet and grasping the first thing that he could get his hands on – in this case, an empty clay pitcher – to use as a weapon, he glanced around frantically in search of the source of the voice. All he saw was an old man sat on a simple wooden chair, sat at an equally simple wooden table, and a few clay containers of varying sizes and shapes on the table.

“Your clothes are drying over there,” he said, gesturing with a thumb to Luja’s right. The youth risked a momentary glance in that direction, then reached out for them with his free hand while keeping his attention on the old man and his grip firmly on his makeshift weapon. The old man appeared busy preparing a drink of some sort, but it always paid to be cautious.

Eyeing the old man warily, Luja worked his way through a mental checklist of all the poisons he knew of and if he also knew how to detect them. Pouring an off-yellow liquid into two, small wooden cups, the old man proffered one of them to the youth, closing the distance between them without hesitation despite the boy’s irrational behaviour and potential weapon.

Luja’s clothes were cold and wet, but using them to cover his groin from sight served the dual purpose of both protecting his modesty and preventing the old man from seeing far more of his body than he would have wanted to – or wanted him to, for that matter. He eyed the contents of the cup suspiciously, but reached out and took the cup with a cursory nod.

The old man returned to his seat, turning his attention to his own cup. He raised it to his mouth and tossed the contents back in one go. Reminds me of Jekkan, Luja thought. Wonder if they’re related? The old man glanced at the youth, and then poured himself another full cup of liquid.

“Now that I’ve done you the kindness of not letting you drown or freeze to death, mind telling me why you were in that river?” Luja averted his eyes, pretending to focus on his drink as the memories caught up with him. He had been stupid, casting in front of a Spellbreaker, but he had believed himself safe. That illusion – How ironic, he thought – had been swiftly shattered with but a touch, as the ‘Breaker had put an arm around his shoulders.

He had played the drunk very effectively, and those around them had believed it to be nothing more than the antics of an affectionate but harmless drunk. Luja hadn’t been convinced. The knife pressed against his spine might have had something to do with it, as might the horrific feeling of suddenly being incapable of casting as his body’s natural mana left him in an instant.

Passers-by had dismissed Luja’s sudden bout of physical weakness as evidence of drunkenness. If his ‘companion’ was anything to go by, the two of them had enjoyed their fill of alcohol in these tough economic times. He was helpless, incapable of alerting anybody to his plight by means either mundane or magical, the latter due to the ‘Breaker’s mere proximity and the former due to the promise of a knife-related death otherwise.

So Luja had remained silent and placid, waiting for his chance – a chance that came when a local prostitute had approached the pair, attempting to solicit some custom out of at least one of the ‘drunks’. His captor’s momentary distraction at being approached had allowed him the chance he needed to push away without the knife being a certain fixture in the back of his neck. He had hightailed it to the only way he could think of escaping – the river.

With no time to prepare any other means of transportation, Luja had plunged into the water and hoped for the best. The current had pulled him away from the village fast enough that when he needed to surface for air, he was far enough away that the ‘Breaker had most likely given up all hope of pursuit.

Then there had been that nightmare... I thought I was over this!, he thought. Nothing’s going to bring him back, no point beating myself up over it. Still thinking about Lib, it took him what felt like an eternity to reply.

“I was trying to get to Giji for the Tournament. Went by river, just sorta slipped off the tree I was riding. Thanks for the rescue.” As lies went, it was a complete shambles. There was no way the old man was going to buy such a flimsy, poorly constructed lie. Indeed, the look of disbelief on the old man’s face was evidence enough. Yet he said nothing, merely nodded his head.

“Makes sense. I used to dream of going to see the Tournament as a lad. Finally got my chance a few years back.” The old man’s eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment, as he lost himself in his memory. “Of course, the eyes aren’t as good as they used to be... ah, but I ramble. Got yourself a good quality seat, I take it?” Despite himself, Luja could only grin.

“Spectate? Nah, I’m participating.”

The combination of shock and horror on the old man’s face made his day.

Yep, definitely better than my last attempt. I'm doing my best to keep the infodumps out of this, as they're what killed it last time. I may have done ten chapters, but most of that was waffle.