Unsounded, quite possibly the (2nd) best webcomic I have seen.

[AMX]

I'm mildly confused at what the other two guys are talking about with the First Silk thing they claim dibs on. Probably something I'm forgetting from earlier comics, but don't have the time to get caught in yet another archive crawl!

"First <something>" is stuff that magic (sorry, "pymary") sticks to - if you want something to have any sort of magical property, and to keep it for any significant time, it must be made of first materials.
Examples of such "pymarics" we've seen so far would be prosthetic arms that can be used as if they were the original arm; or that little spider thing that creates exploding nets; and what we're looking at here appears to be a magic sleep shuriken.

Rare and useful => expensive => crooked cops would like to pocket it.

[NEO|Phyte]

Ashley Cope is a her (I know some male Ashley's so it's definitely not a given).

I'm mildly confused at what the other two guys are talking about with the First Silk thing they claim dibs on. Probably something I'm forgetting from earlier comics, but don't have the time to get caught in yet another archive crawl!

It appears to be that cloth Quigley was using for his bug pymary stuff, you can see it draped over one of their shoulders.

[Proud Tortoise]

Duane shouldn't have left it behind, I loved that pymaric

[Hydranova]

"First <something>" is stuff that magic (sorry, "pymary") sticks to - if you want something to have any sort of magical property, and to keep it for any significant time, it must be made of first materials.
Examples of such "pymarics" we've seen so far would be prosthetic arms that can be used as if they were the original arm; or that little spider thing that creates exploding nets; and what we're looking at here appears to be a magic sleep shuriken.

Rare and useful => expensive => crooked cops would like to pocket it.

I don't think Toma and Elka are really corrupt. And besides, they've reason to believe it's a criminal's stuff, ergo perfectly reasonable to make sure said criminal has less magic stuff.

And hey, looks like they don't think Duane's a slaver so far! Just probably a spy.

[SlyGuyMcFly]

And hey, looks like they don't think Duane's a slaver so far! Just probably a spy.

Progress! Right?

But I have to wonder: the floating cheese? wut??

[Jimorian]

I don't think Toma and Elka are really corrupt. And besides, they've reason to believe it's a criminal's stuff, ergo perfectly reasonable to make sure said criminal has less magic stuff.

It wasn't Toma and Elka who claimed dibs, but the 2 local cops.

[Spuddles]

I don't think Toma and Elka are really corrupt. And besides, they've reason to believe it's a criminal's stuff, ergo perfectly reasonable to make sure said criminal has less magic stuff.

And hey, looks like they don't think Duane's a slaver so far! Just probably a spy.

It's called Civil Forfeiture.

[Jade_Tarem]

Progress! Right?

But I have to wonder: the floating cheese? wut??

Toma was going a little overboard on his what-ifs, and Elka called him on it in her own inimitable way.

I hope she sticks with him, if only because they're both about twice as effective when they have the other one around - Toma supplies the drive, Elka supplies the sanity. It's a buddy-cop movie waiting to happen.

[Proud Tortoise]

Toma was going a little overboard on his what-ifs, and Elka called him on it in her own inimitable way.

I hope she sticks with him, if only because they're both about twice as effective when they have the other one around - Toma supplies the drive, Elka supplies the sanity. It's a buddy-cop movie waiting to happen.

And also she wanted to cheer him up, but as Glass said, Toma was being "Mr. Grumpy Cuckold".

[Teln]

It's nice to see Matty smiling again. Heck, it's just nice to see Matty again.

[Proud Tortoise]

Yeah, the section about Duane was a bit long.

[Welf]

But it explained quite a lot about Duane and his home country. I always get annoyed when in some comics* part of a backstory is revealed, and then we get a cliffhanger that won't be continued for some years in real time.

*<cough> Girl genius <cough>

[Proud Tortoise]

It was sort of a HUGE cliffhangerish thing! What happened to Duane's family?? Why was he killed??

[Kislath]

Well, we still have a bloody long way to go. Sette hasn't even met her cousin yet, and I'm sure he won't be happy to see her, and then our heroes still have to walk back to Sharteshane. This'll take awhile. By the time it's done, in who knows how many years, I'm sure we'll know all we ever wanted to know about everybody.
I'm also sure we'll love every minute of it. This is one of the very best graphic novels I've ever seen. Maybe THE best.

[Proud Tortoise]

It is THE BEST. Ever. IN HISTORY.

[Wayson]

I had a slow morning at work, and read the entire comic in one go.

I'm really torn now. I like Erfworld's story, but this one is just as compelling. Maybe more so. The art is top notch, one of the best webcomics for that along with Erfworld (Xin's work, not Jamie or the current guy) and Gunnerkrigg Court.

If you haven't looked at this, read it. If you start to burn out in the first book, endure! IT IS AMAZING.

[Kislath]

Agreed. When I first discovered it, the way Sette was drawn in the first chapter turned me off a bit, thinking this was going to some weird half-manga mutant hybrid, and I do so hate manga.
However, I couldn't stop laughing, and the rest of the art was fantastic, and by the time they started fighting the wandering root I was hooked.
So, I'll ditto the same advice often given-- force yourself to finish the first chapter, and you'll be very richly rewarded by everything that happens next.

[SlyGuyMcFly]

Heh. I also had trouble with Unsounded at first. "SETTE IS SO ANNOYING I WANT NOTHING BUT TO STRANGLE HER WITH HER OWN TAIL" was my thought at the beggining of the comic and I actually quit reading the first time I went through the archives. That's how damn annoying I found Sette to be.

'Bout a year later I tried again and this time was able to far enough into the comic that Sette became (somewhat) sympathetic, and have been totally hooked since. I even like Sette now. She's a total brat, but has her points for sure.

[Welf]

Heh. I also had trouble with Unsounded at first. "SETTE IS SO ANNOYING I WANT NOTHING BUT TO STRANGLE HER WITH HER OWN TAIL" was my thought at the beggining of the comic and I actually quit reading the first time I went through the archives. That's how damn annoying I found Sette to be.

'Bout a year later I tried again and this time was able to far enough into the comic that Sette became (somewhat) sympathetic, and have been totally hooked since. I even like Sette now. She's a total brat, but has her points for sure.

what he said

That's my story, too. I tried, quit and a year or two later I found it again and this time I was hooked. I wonder how many people missed out a great comic that way?

[Proud Tortoise]

I liked the beginning, it was hilarious. And then I discovered, upon reading further, that it was in fact the best webcomic. Ssomun illuda!

[wingnutx]

I had quit reading early on because Sette is so annoying, but this thread convinced me to give it another shot.

I'm glad that I did. It definitely gets a lot better.

[Jimorian]

The scene at the end of Ch 2 was beautifully heartbreaking even when it had to stand on its own (which as an early scene, it has to do anyway), but knowing Duane's backstory now really brings home how much it hurt for him.

[Zen Master]

Double page today - hooray!

I like how (to me at least) most everyone in this comic is a very clearly delineated archetype. There is something like a single word or phrase that I could use to describe everyone.

Sette: Rogue
Jivi: Moral
Matty: Kind
Duane: Paladin

And so on ... they are all more complex than that, but everything they do matches their ideals.

Almost certainly, Jivi and Sette are each others eventual love interests - which is an interesting prospect =)

[Forrestfire]

Actually Wednesday, but it was nice then too

Matty's scholarly findings were great

[Kislath]

Nice try, Sette, but I think Duane is about to give you what for!

[wingnutx]

Looks like he has a new pymaric leg.

[Jade_Tarem]

Duane admits that in the past he's been a nasty, they weren't kidding when they called him, well, a witch...

[wingnutx]

Heh, Duane should have done that to Sette on page one.

[Alias]

He could have done that at any time??? He's insane or he's a saint.

[Jade_Tarem]

He could have done that at any time??? He's insane or he's a saint.

It's his code of conduct. Duane is not a big believer in asymmetrical combat: he matches physical force with physical force, pymary with pymary, and Sette's verbal barbs with his own brand of snarking.

So... insane, would be my guess.

My question is "Why didn't he do that in his pymary duel?" Is it against the rules or something?