Song of the Eastern Sands: Page 40
This week, Theo surmises the true nature of their source. He doesn’t seem that bothered by it — probably because in their line of work, if your plan goes awry, second chances are hard to come by. The Sand Spiders have gained some powerful new allies (gained through a possible misunderstanding, but hey) so they’re players in this massive game now. What happens next… well, that might very well be for another chapter!
Yes, we are indeed drawing close to the end of Song of the Eastern Sands, but fret not! Rachel is working diligently on pages for Chapter 3, and things are moving quite nicely! You might have seen one of her streams last week where she completed the chapter bumper image and the webpage banner for Chapter 3. Since it was publicly available on the stream, I don’t mind repeating the name of the new chapter for anyone who couldn’t make it to the stream: Outcasts of the Western Deep.
In other news, Armello’s first big DLC just released! “Usurpers” is a collection of four brand new characters with some new ring items to help your attempted coup go by just a little bit smoother! Check out the awesome animated trailer down below:
Armello is available for PC, PS4, and now Xbox One! The Usurpers DLC is $9.99
Work also progresses on the Armello novellas. Just delivered the first draft of the third novella, with two more to write (and then additional drafts of each to get through). I’ll be sure to let you all know where and when those are available.
Lastly, I will be at PAX West in Seattle this whole weekend, so if you’re going to be attending, drop by the PAX Aus Roadshow section (#6211) and come see us at the Armello booth!
I can’t help but love how calm about all of this Theo is, with his “Meh, none of you died, it’s alright” attitude. Shame he no longer works in the field thieving himself–as good as a leader as he is for these three from their base in the tavern, I imagine he was even more effective back in the day, when he got to lead from the front.
And Felismum is right, technically Rook, Asha, and Beck work for the embassy now. You three can add that to your resumes; perhaps you could even ask them for a reference when all of this is through! Might want to skimp on the petty details regarding exactly how you came to be in their employ, though.
So, SOTES is almost over, is it? That means our favorite den of thieves will be appearing subsequently in the chapters of the main story, I suppose, and that we’ll see them all in Rachel’s style. I can get behind that. Though if SOTES ties in to the main story so closely, shouldn’t this be chapter 3? Eh.
Love the title, though. “Outcasts of the Western Deep” is the sort of title that could work as a name for a comic strip all on its own. And it definitely makes sense after the complete mess that chapter 2 ended on. The last chapter was a fantastic piece of writing, it’s true, but it also was just the beginning of the slope for the rising action. From here I anticipate that things will heat up even more. I became utterly addicted to chapter 2 while it was running because it felt like the part of the story where things were finally starting to happen, the part where in most fiction things are just starting to get good. If the “just starting to get good” part of BWD was this enthralling, said my brain, imagine where everything will go from here!
I intend to find out, and can’t wait to see.
“Felis mum” Ha ha! That’s hilarious!
Everyone keeps mentioning how detached Theo appears to be, and it’s true.
Before the beginning of this chapter, the four main characters were shown as if they were all a full team, but so far Theo has hardly participated more within the story than (heh heh) Felismum. Maybe the Sand Spiders aren’t the only thieving team Theo plays manager to? “Damn, the Spiders got killed while robbing the embassy! I hope the Dust Scorpions are faring better on the Smiling Ermehn Tower.”
And I agree, I am eager to see these characters in Rachel’s style!
Theo is secretive enough to potentially be running a couple of other thieving gangs, but I would be doubtful, as the Sand Spiders are his adopted children, and I imagine he spends most of his time just trying to find and plan jobs for them. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn of a copycat team of thieves calling themselves the “Dust Scorpions”, though.
And I am not the one originally responsible for the nickname “Felismum”. Shield coined it back here: https://westerndeep.net/comic/song-of-the-eastern-sands-page-14/
No, the Copy Cats are an all-Felis gang of forgers and impersonators. The Dust Scorpions are the spiritual succesors of the Arsenic Arachnoids, which are based on the Inebriated Insectoids, which are a spin-off of ….you get the idea.
Serves me right for not reading all the comments, sometimes I miss real gems.
Theo’s tea must have extra mint in it.
how is Theo so chill about this? they’re being hunted down by Canid assassins and getting mixed up in something that involves the fate of 2-3 kingdoms, and yet he’s just “meh” about it. I bet he’s screaming internally now.
heh, talk about high stakes. robbing the Embassy was one thing, but this job evolving into an epic Game of Thrones-level political conflict that decides the fate of nations, it’s just… wow.
i had a few theories back in page 37. theory A is starting to play out.
https://westerndeep.net/comic/song-of-the-eastern-sands-page-37/
I can’t wait to see how this affects things in Chapter 3. *sips tea*
good luck at PAX, Alex!
I just love how calmly Theo is taking all of this. Dozer is right, just what the heck is in that tea!?
It’ll be sad to say goodbye to these guys – however temporary. They’ve left us with so many great memories – and MEMES!
May Beck’s teeth live on in infamy
Yes it was almost too soon!!
I’m drooling. Its all so amazing. Chapter 3, The rough draft to this page and Armello trailer!? All great news.
If you interpret the panels as photographs taken throughout the story, I spy dissonance in the first panel. While the dialogue reads as if one line follows the other, the mouths imply simultaneous dialogue.
Yup! This is a common “cheat” in comics format – a moment frozen in time, except sometimes it’s treated as a given that time needed to read/speak the dialogue does pass as your eye moves across the panel. It’s a bit weird if you take it absolutely literally.
At least when characters are sitting around a bar, it doesn’t strain credibility as much as when anime characters or superheroes have philosophical debates between punches. X)
I mean, Ambassador Rowan was clearly not quite thinking straight at the moment, but I wonder if it’s crossed his mind yet that an Ermehn and a Polcan are just a little out of place at a Sunsgrovian Embassy. But then, this is Nessa. and such Things are probably far less Stranger.
Well, looks like that source of information is no longer credible- unless Theo says it’s “just business.” And it’s nice to hear from Tabby! I wonder if it was just raising Asha that kept her mostly out of the business.