unsounded

18-179

Ruck's not savvy enough to get into this and use it as part of his sales pitch, but it's actually not a terrible idea for Cresce. Most of Alderode is the same religion as Cresce - Gefendur - but they are a different sect of it, one that prioritizes the two male Gefendur gods. If "Yerta" suddenly showed up and refocused the northern Gefendur on worship of her, that would stand to unify Alderode with the southern Gefendur, ending a long age of enmity and war.

Of course the Ssaelit would ...

18-178

Rats, I forgot to notch Ruck's tongue there.

So yes, Queen Sonorie sincerely thought she'd let General Bell hang himself by goading him on towards the sedition she was pretty sure (and apparently correct) he was jonesing for. She instructed Ruckmearkha - who had already been located and awakened to facilitate the Black Tongues' work with Roger - to deliver divine bliss and be the god that Bell thought he was serving (ultimately himself, in her opinion). She sent her Peaceguard - Toma an...

18-176&177

Two pages today. Fare thee well, little dikdik, there was no way he was going to let you walk out of here.

18-175

It is fine though, you see, because Ruckmearkha has been thinking over this matter, and he has devised a possible solution. Not for you, of course, Queen Cresce, but for him, perhaps? Hear him out, just hear him out.

18-174

The mildest glimpse of the same dream we saw her Majesty have so long ago. She always has her legacy, and her country's past and future, on her mind.

18-173

Just as a refresher, since it's been a few scenes, but Ruckmearkha popped the heck up out of nowhere and swiped Queen Sonorie, her handmaiden, and Toma's daughter. Their last conversation hadn't gone so great, but before that they seem to have been working together just fine. I wonder what Ruck wants...

18-172

Captain Toma loves his Lieutenant so much he could vomit. Does she love him back? Or is she just arming him like a bomb? Eh, a matter to be determined if they survive the next twenty minutes.

I know Queen Sonorie is not the story's most popular or charismatic character, but I sincerely love this next scene. Let's get it done.

18-171

And we're back! I don't know that Duane's help was really needed, but the gesture is appreciated.

Thanks for being so patient over the last week. I know some readers kindly insist I don't need to worry about the comic when personal stuff strikes, but I don't want you guys to ever think I take you for granted, or that I don't feel responsibility towards you for contributing your time and money to this project - because I sincerely and profoundly do! Thank you for being here :)

No...

18-170

Duane can hear Toma, but Toma can't hear Duane. While ghosts can hear even without fleshly ears, they lack the required equipment to produce an audible voice to the living :( Maybe Murkoph can help...

I posted this on the site, but I'm back in the path of a hurricane, and this one is a bastard. I don't know what it's going to do to my place and I'm nervous enough about it that I'm going to head to a shelter. So I have no idea what the rest of this week is going to look like, update-wis...

18-169

Very, very observant readers will make an old connection here with some of First Sette's dialogue, but otherwise this looks like a giant ohcrap, and someone needs to come break these two apart. I don't think the furbag is playing around.

I've been doing little ficlets for Whumptober over on Tumblr. I have some steamy ones planned that will wind up here exclusively, but in the meantime you can follow along - 2024-10-04 03:56:03 +0000 UTC View Post

18-168

Sette just tore out a giant chunk of her memory, so forgive her if she's woozy. She's also physically all kinds of messed up. Her odds against surviving a whole boss rush aren't good D:

And Lady Ilganyag? She is inside the khert physically, and alive. She can't shake off an injury like her little daughter, or even undead Murkoph can. If she's alive, she's grievously broken.

18-166&167

Yuh-oh. Watch out you don't hurt yourself there, Frummagem.

Having some problems with the server, I'll update the site when they're resolved. Thanks for your patience on Friday! The hurricane knocked my power out and I was honestly not in a good headspace to work this weekend with all the clean-up. Having an extra day was helpful :)

18-165

Rahm would not be in that bed next to his wife, torc removed and on the nightstand, if he and Iori had not reconciled in a previous chapter. So for all the horrors that Duane and Sette have caused in their journey across Kasslyne, you can at least say they saved these two.

And yeah, Sette ate a ghost eye. I'm sure that won't come back like Taco Bell in some horrific bathroom event later on, nope.

18-164

Bastion knew this was coming - he just wasn't sure when. He was certain she'd never leave her tools alive though, especially with Ruckmearkha in the picture now using them for his own purposes.

But yeah. Ever screamed into a pillow when you're really upset? Might be even more cathartic to break the necks of a few dozen ethically dubious eunuchs. Try it out!

18-163

Misery loves company but your pain is never your friend. Knock called this way back when, if you'll remember.

I think Ana and Prakhuta are both wonderful examples of there just sometimes being no answer, no meaning, and no happy ending. You don't like to see it in a story, but it does sometimes serve as a pleasing contrast to the characters and the arcs that do find some catharsis and resolution.

Anyway, like Ahab, we'll see Prakhuta one more time ere it's done.

18-162

I saw a pretty even spread among readers: half knew what was going on and half were huffing the copium, haha. I had been certain someone would be really mad when Knock impossibly showed back up standing and speaking clearly after Cutter chomped her throat out, but she never really knew what happened. Suddenly she was just back up on the stupid spine. Even at the end, neither really knows what's happening. They're just glad to be home. Thanks, Tail~

Welcome new patrons!

I noticed a few new subscribers! The comic couldn't continue without your support, and I thank you for it! Check out the Extra Art Tag https://www.patreon.com/unsounded/posts?filters%5Btag%5D=extra_art  for a selection of art and writing just for you.

Otherwise always let me know if you have any questions or need something clarified. Enjoy your Saturday!2024-09-14 19:08:40 +0000 UTC View Post

18-160&161

I know there was a lot of rooting for Knock to come back and just kick ass, but what everyone is learning here at the end is violence isn't really doing much against these creatures. It's maybe a little saccharine, but it's squishes that make everything better, and all the love and camaraderie that inspires them :) Power of friendship, baby!

With a little bit of face biting.

Of course now Sette is alone with a very angry bird.

18-159

We'll do two pages on Friday. They're some of my all-time faves.

18-158

Sette was only lookin' out for you, pinky. Cutter looks malevolent there, doesn't he? He never liked her.

18-156&157

I tried to create the frenetic, everything-is-broken vibe of red chapter 10, while also keeping it legible, which chapter 10 often isn't. Pretty pleased though. There's the first two memories Ilganyag flapped in Sette's face - where's the third? Did Knock really interrupt them? Surely it's not this easy.

18-155

These hearts are animated on the site, for extra oomph, and will continue to be, until~

Lady Ilganyag is ecstatic. All has gone according to plan, even with all the setbacks she's had to work around. She feels like a game master who's taken her very uncooperative group of Walmart employee friends on a great adventure, and now they are through the final dungeon, and the last obstacle awaits, and there's no way anyone, not even these idiots, can screw this up for her.

Roll those dic...

18-154

Unstoppable o_o

18-153

Any guesses why the eels are interested in Knock's cleavage? C'mon, you know there's a reason more than just a boobie gag (but also a boobie gag).

18-152

I told you we're heading into a maelstrom of colour! Anadyne's agony is bleeding magenta all over the place. Save her, Knock, and Sette too, before Lady Ilganyag takes over the Silver kills them both!

18-151

Drawing Duane on the ground on this page and the previous ones made me so sad. He feels truly dead and put to rest, and it made me reflect on what that living man's life was, what he accomplished, and all he missed out on by dying so young.

Our Duane is still around of course, but he finally feels truly severed from his family, his old life, and everything he lost. He's still highly motivated to help his people, but the old pain isn't standing in the way any longer of him living in the ...

18-150

Duane breaks character and makes an interesting choice.

Here's a question for you, readers: Duane's just given it up, but do you think Murkoph was being truthful about everything supposedly in this gifted memory? He does seem to know some juicy stuff, but to say Duane can even find how to make his way to God? Quite the carrot to promise.

But if it's not true at least to some extent, how's Murkoph know the stuff he states here?

Weird!

18-149

I originally let Murkoph talk a lot more about Sette here. It was great for a delay tactic for Duane, but eeeh, let's save some stuff for later. Besides, he's been delayed enough. He wants to get out of whatever this is, and break some things.

18-147&148

I went back and forth over whether or not to include these two pages with the last update, but ultimately chose against it. I like how quickly and instinctively he moves to anger at himself - which is old habit, which is classic Duane - but then has come far enough that he's finally able to forgive himself. It's no one's fault that he died, not even his own.

This is actual growth, to me. Not being scolded like a child in the dark. Not that Litriya wasn't important, but I really don't t...

18-136-146

A big, fat, very somber update.

I said a while ago that everything you needed to figure out Lemuel's scheme was right there in his introductory chapter, and I still think that's true. From his weird statement to Duane that HE would fix it, to his sudden disinterest in romance, to his invitation to Mickie to be there at the temple that day, to that single tear he shed when Duane left - it's really all there.

But I noticed it wasn't until he talked of "glory" a few pages ago that ...