[Exalted comic] Tales of the Mastah

[Weimann]

As people who perused the Keychain of Creation thread before Jukashi's lamentable tendonitis will know, Tales of the Mastah is a spin-off comic based on the one-shot gag character (the Immaculate Mastah) who's contribution to the story was to let one of the main characters establish his catch phrase by punching him in the face. This should tell you most of what you need to know about him.

While displaying impressive levels of classic OotS/Keychain-style art quality and some genuinely catchy hooks, characters and jokes, the DeviantArt-hosted comic managed a total of 16 pages before it failed to update further. Currently, however, it's attempting a revival, and true to form, it has been given an official page on Patternspider.net alongside the other reigning champions of the genre, Keychain of Creation and Agents of Yu-Shan.

Currently, the page has uploaded the previously finished 16 pages, and is aiming to update with a new one on Mondays. Given its history, it is keeping the schedule that worries me the most. I make a prayer roll with a Resources 4 sacrifice that the author can keep it up.

Go check it out.

[Domochevsky]

I can't help but notice that half the time i can't see jack in these panels, since it's black lines on nearly black backgrounds. Bad contrasts. >_>

[Weimann]

That did happen a bit in the dungeons, but not to the extent where it bothered me. Hopefully it'll get better now when they're in the Wyld.

On another note, I've Tsukiko down for a Szerin Malefactor, and the Mastah is a Kimberian Fiend, but while Lixue is surely Szerin I can't tell if she's a Defiler or a Slayer. On the one hand, she has SWLiHN Charms, on the other hand, her eyes and speech burns green and she seems to have lots of mutations.

[Yuki Akuma]

You know what I dislike about this comic?

In KoC he was apparently an Immaculate Master (meaning he'd have to be a Terrestrial at least), and yet in this he Exalts as an Infernal.

I mean, I guess he could have been making stuff up, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't the joke...

[Requiem_Jeer]

The mutation charms in Malfeas charm's are pretty shallow, it can be gotten pretty easy by those who don't favor him. Defiler is more likely.

[Weimann]

You know what I dislike about this comic?

In KoC he was apparently an Immaculate Master (meaning he'd have to be a Terrestrial at least), and yet in this he Exalts as an Infernal.

I mean, I guess he could have been making stuff up, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't the joke...

He commented on that back in the first round, in fact:

I'm assuming the Mastah was a total poser who simply looked Dragon Blooded and was not in fact as he claimed a Master of the Immaculate Arts, similar to the two bandits who tried to rob Misho and company, at least that was the impression I always got given that Ten-Winds totally pwned him with just one punch and his total lack of backstory.

[Recaiden]

You know what I dislike about this comic?

In KoC he was apparently an Immaculate Master (meaning he'd have to be a Terrestrial at least), and yet in this he Exalts as an Infernal.

I mean, I guess he could have been making stuff up, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't the joke...

Consider the following: Abyssals, as we all know, are allowed to double Exalt as Abyssal/GSPs, so the Mastah was clearly a Day Caste pretending to be a badly thought up Immaculate Master.

I'm personally excited to see this attempting to come back. It's silliness should go well with Chorus, neh?

[Yuki Akuma]

Consider the following: Abyssals, as we all know, are allowed to double Exalt as Abyssal/GSPs

...

...What?

[Recaiden]

...

...What?

MoEP: Page 233. While abyssals cannot become Akuma, they can exalt as GSPs. Of course, they almost certainly meant that backwards, and no ST in their right mind would allow that as far as I can imagine. But it is there.

[The_Snark]

MoEP: Page 233. While abyssals cannot become Akuma, they can exalt as GSPs. Of course, they almost certainly meant that backwards, and no ST in their right mind would allow that as far as I can imagine. But it is there.

I'm pretty sure that what the writers were trying to say is that an Abyssal Exaltation, if somehow captured by the Yozis between owners, could theoretically be converted into an Infernal Exaltation. Not that you could have Abyssal GSPs, or even akuma Abyssals (since the whole point of that sidebar is to explain how Yozis, Primordials, and Neverborn don't mix).

[Lord Raziere]

Hmmm….

ok…..byzantine background plan go!

think that if one is clever enough, that an Abyssal could manipulate the Yozis into changing their track from Resonance into Torment without turning them into a Green Sun Prince? maybe by making a deal with Malfeas to destroy something in return……

*prepares perfect defense against anti-shenanigan whacks*

[Yuki Akuma]

The Yozis aren't capable of making changes to Exaltations while the owner is still using it.

[Lord Raziere]

……hmmmm…ok then, to the Wyld! If all else fails, the place of infinite possibility and chaos will eventually have the solution.

[Friv]

I would like this comic a lot more if it wasn't portrayed as a KoC spinoff, as doing so really smacks of a desperate attempt to snare new readers without working at it.

I mean, the guy is retroactively not an Immaculate master, thereby removing the entire joke of his one-shot character (and yeah I know what LaFreeze said, but I disagree entirely), and then he gets amnesia which removes any remaining links he might have had to being a spinoff character in the first place. He could have just said "With art inspired by Keychain of Creation" or some such.

Which is not even getting into my issues with amnesia as a plot device for a main character.

I like Lixue a lot, though, both in character and design.

[Weimann]

I would like this comic a lot more if it wasn't portrayed as a KoC spinoff, as doing so really smacks of a desperate attempt to snare new readers without working at it.

I mean, the guy is retroactively not an Immaculate master, thereby removing the entire joke of his one-shot character (and yeah I know what LaFreeze said, but I disagree entirely), and then he gets amnesia which removes any remaining links he might have had to being a spinoff character in the first place. He could have just said "With art inspired by Keychain of Creation" or some such.

I must agree to some extent. The comic has juice to stand on its own. It doesn't actually need to rely on KoC. That said, I don't see it as a big problem, just as "hey, you're good man, do your own thing!"

Which is not even getting into my issues with amnesia as a plot device for a main character.

*cough* Misho *cough*

I like Lixue a lot, though, both in character and design.

I still can't figure her Caste out.

So, the schedule was once a week. It's been a week since the last update. This is not a promising start.

[Friv]

*cough* Misho *cough*

I agree. That happens to be among my least favorite things in Keychain, frankly.

And even then, at least Misho has a full set of memories, just of the wrong person. It is a step in the right direction.

Look, I understand the amnesia thing. I did it myself back when I was writing webcomics, because I was young and I didn't know any better. But it is almost never a good story, and it almost never adds anything.

So, the schedule was once a week. It's been a week since the last update. This is not a promising start.

Fingers crossed?

[Weimann]

I agree. That happens to be among my least favorite things in Keychain, frankly.

And even then, at least Misho has a full set of memories, just of the wrong person. It is a step in the right direction.

In his case, I see it as a justification for having what's essentially a Golden Hero Vassal in your story, just with less risk of absolute setting destruction. To be honest, seeing who Misho was before his Exaltation is among the least interesting reasons I want Keychain back, and he doesn't seem all too interested in knowing either. In his case, the amnesia is not so much a plot point as a background element. It explains rather than challenges. I've no problem with that.

As for the Mastah's case, we shall have to wait and see. Particularly wait, it seems.

Fingers crossed?

Hoping so hard.

[Volthawk]

Hmm, the comics up till now had been already done (when he moved to the new site he uploaded them one by one for some reason), so from here it's all new. Might explain the slowdown.