unsounded

16_114

I went hard on the trees in the first panel; I'm so sick of drawing battle damage and the interior of the shrine :U I long for pretty nature backgrounds!

Unlike Duane who obsesses over his past, Quigley doesn't like to look at it at all. This translates into us - over the years of the comic - only getting to see his backstory in quick snatches, leaving us to piece it together for ourselves. Here, Quigley snaps in a final puzzle piece that a lot of readers didn't particularly want on the...

16_113

Originally in the penultimate panel Keon begged: "Please just kill me!" but I thought it a bit much. Still, as an agent of the state he knows the fate of people who have done what he's done. Even with an "enlightened" queen on the throne.

We're in the thick of the finale now, and the cuts and story turns are gonna come quick and hectic! I think we'll do our usual one page per update this week but next week I might have to start doing some weird updates to make the action work. Stay tune...

16_111&112

Two pages today! A fitting conclusion.

I am verklempt, patrons. 2021 is ending in the most appropriate way by having me put my fifteen year old dog Carter to sleep tomorrow afternoon. She is pretty old and not feeling well and it is time. She served as a frequent model for Pantoffel, and I feel like Captain Toma having to put his beloved steed down. If you would, think a fond thought for a mutt named Carter tomorrow, for all she ever wanted was walks around the park and rotisserie chimk...

16_110

Hetr isn't going to be satisfied unless Toma begs for his life - or the Queen's. It's not fun to just gank him!

16_109

The true protagonist is here, and this is the greatest day of his life.

I'm going to take Friday off for Christmas if that's okay with you, bosses! Come hang out in Discord with me, we'll eat panettone and talk about dogs and cute people - https://discord.gg/jFeGeZT - tomorrow I'm going to try and assemble a personal charcuterie board!

I'm also working on an audio recording of some pronunciation requests and uh, pr...

16_108

Elka and Toma are frankly too busy flirting to pay any attention to Quigley's persistent gloom.

16_107

I must go. My planet needs me.

Everyone is going to be so enraged on Monday when it cuts to the Peaceguard one last time, haha~

16_105&106

Two pages today! Didn't wanna split these up in the middle of a fireball, seemed rude.

16_104

Now we're at the climax and I'm in particular agony only posting a page at a time, haha. I think I'll double up next week and do two on Monday, one on Friday!

Ricker! You are a screw-up, Ricker! Do you know what happens to middle manager villains who screw up in fantasy stories, Ricker? Nothing good, Ricker!

16_103

Duane Adelier back in action.

16_102

In Quigley's defense, he wants to go get Matty and Uaid. It's not like he's trying to tip-toe off to Hooters for a plate of wings.

16_101

Wholesome!

Man, see that floaty waterbaby? I could NOT find the original working file for her so I had to use the web res, and she's all pixellated like a Japanese goodie-box. I'll have to redraw her for print. Vexing!

16_100

"I'm sorry" are the cheapest words in the English language and Duane respects language too much to use them. Calling out his own weakness for cleaving to ideas he's *always* known were wrong, and then swearing to find God; find himself; find truth; is what a real apology sounds like from him.

Of course it's also terrifically self-concerned and Mistress Lori doesn't have the stomach for it, so Duane's lucky he doesn't get a shoe in his face.

But there's not too much time for a real...

16_99

Duane's entrance looks ominous as frick in the last panel, but he had a pretty unfortunate time underwater, if you'll recall. Let's see if all that was for the better, or the worse.

16_98

When last we saw Sette she was begging Duane to go help Sara and Siya. He disappeared in seeming compliance, leaving Sette to chase after...

16_97

Keon finally opens up, and I don't think he says anything too surprising. He's cynical but flexible, and that flexibility may let him live to see the morrow...

I'm going to skip Wednesday for Thanksgiving. I bought butter shaped like a turkey! It's going to be the best Thanksgiving ever. My fellow Yanks have a good one too! ♥♥♥

Next scene cuts back to Sette and Duane, and then it's high action all the way 'til the end.

16_96

Judging from that last panel the cavalry may have at last arrived. Lemuel better scoot.

16_95

I, too, would probably throw up after unexpectedly meeting my brother's corpse after seven years.

16_94

Jivi is very brave, but maybe should stay with the giant walking pymary-proof mecha rather than go unarmed into a battlefield with his puny kid self. At least Hetr and Ricker are having fun.

16_89-93

Five pages today. I've uploaded the typical highres print versions for ya but I much prefer the layout on the website. The long sink into blackness as Duane resigns himself to Hell. Update starts here - https://www.casualvillain.com/Unsounded/comic/ch16/ch16_89.html 

I promise things start looking up after this. Duane needed a foothold at the very bottom of his soul from which to...

16_88

No one else could have so immediately gotten him back on his feet. But there's nothing good down there~

Loathe you, in fact~

Hello new patrons (and old friends!) Welcome aboard, and make sure you check out the extra_art tag <3

16_87

Time to make a decision, Duane. Lemuel's presented a very clear, very final option~

16_86

Where's the lie though?

16_85

Duane's brain connected his present request with another time he felt completely abandoned and terrified - the beginning of his marriage and Mikaila's arrival. He had mad ideas of riding off adventuring with Lem then too, but of course that was just a daydream when he felt too in over his head.

But see how Lem tried to tame his hair for when he met Leysa? Part of me felt that panel was maybe a little too cute and incongruous for the heavy stuff going on but it was also Duane remembering...

16_84

Lotta meat on this page. Lemuel sums up pretty much what we found out at the end of last chapter about the Queen's plot at the shrine, but the idea of an attack against her today is intriguing. That might be difficult now when uh, everyone got asploded. They *really* should have held off on invading the shrine today~

The little flashback panel is baby Lemuel and Duane chatting and having snacks in dad's old print shop. The tone of Lemuel's complaint about a broken nose and vanishing bro...

16_83

Duane is being intentionally abstruse, and Lemuel ain't gettin' it, but then Duane doesn't want him to get it and doesn't want to get it himself. So let's go back to talking about War! War's safe!

This scene was exceptionally difficult to lay out. Had to rely on everything but Duane's face to express his thoughts, and he keeps flashing back to earlier, preferred versions of his brother. The things he's seeing are also terrifically meaningful, but I'm not of a mind to spell it all out, h...

16_82

This is a scene where I really wish we had audio. Duane's laugh must sound like the saddest noise in the world.

But Lemuel just wasn't thinking. His heart wanted DUANE; not the monster that his more rational mind knew Duane had become. Lem's not one for Best Worlds though. He'll deal with this reality now and address it as he must.

16_79-81

Doing three new pages today. There are some, I think, worthwhile effects if you view them on the site - https://www.casualvillain.com/Unsounded/comic/ch16/ch16_79.html I'd used the shaky effect earlier but it really looks a lot better with the art split up into planes and manipulated individually.

Have a good week! <3

16_78

Gonna post all of next week's pages at once, on Monday, and finish this scene. Have a good weekend!