I’m not sure if Phil and I forgot to include any evidence of the Corruptor Beast’s exit on our way in and were covering our asses, or if we had always intended this reversal, but it sure looks like we planned it, so let’s all say we definitely did.

This subplot is more of an organic part of the chapter than it looked at first, and even than it looked when this page was published. The Cultists and the Champions have so far been entirely separate issues for our heroes, but after this, their narrative threads will start colliding in more and more obvious ways.

At this point, of course, it’s unclear just what this hole is and what entering it would do. Some thought that Sundar, E-Merl, and Gravedust might just go a-sauntering into downtown Irvine, which would’ve been a fun buddy comedy (and maybe feasible, as they’re mostly human-looking) but was not the kind of world-crossing we wanted to do. E-Merl would’ve gotten them into a magic act, though, and they would’ve made pretty good scratch by street-performer standards, though not in a currency they could bring home. (“Why are this town’s ralds so flat and papery?”)

Tune in tomorrow for a fresh slew of guest strips. And the end of Shakespeare’s Trump Act III is here, and this update’s got wildly irresponsible amounts of sex and violence!