Okay so, the comic’s not back yet, but we do have some updates. As always with these interstitial pages, don’t get too attached to any comments you make here, because once chapter 9 resumes, this page will be deleted in order to preserve the reading flow. For historical preservation, I’ll mirror it over on the Patreon.
- New commenting system: Following in the footsteps of other Hiveworks comics, we’ve made the switch from Disqus to Hyvor. The main reason for this was Disqus’ slow descent into scammy, porn-filled spyware, not to mention dragging down the site’s performance. Hyvor may not be one of the bigger comment platforms out there, but it doesn’t rely on an ad-supported business model, and that’s good enough for now.
- New socials: Twitter is out, Mastodon is in! I haven’t had much to post while the comic was on break, but I do find the community over at Mastodon to be a lot less toxic than on Twitter. In the comic months, I intend to start posting more artwork there, as well as on our long-neglected Tumblr. Anyway, links are in the sidebar.
- Refreshed the About page: The comic's About page was created really early on in the comic’s run, and the character portraits were really showing their age. Felt like a good opportunity to do some polishing on all the character designs, and showcase the current look of the artwork.
All right, so about the character piece posted above. It’s the culmination of a ton of research I’ve been doing on historical/speculative clothing, some of which won’t show up until later chapters, some of which we can talk about right now:
Tajjedigt - A lavender-hued version of her chapter 5 housecoat and capris, paired with a loose, tunic-neckline blouse.
Aisha - This reimagining of her introductory outfit swaps out the long tunic for a shirt inspired by vintage baseball uniforms. The vest has become longer, to compensate. She’s got some snazzy engineer boots, and her wrist guard has been swapped with padded arm warmers, for some elbow protection.
Osman - A casual look, featuring the blue bomber jacket he’s been sporting recently, but with sandals and cargo shorts.
Ali - Pretty much the same uniform he always wears, although his shalwar trousers have been spruced up so they look less like pajamas.
Siddig - A variation on his chapter 2 outfit: an oversized turtleneck with buckles, paired with a way-too-small red vest. He’s finished off his ensemble with baggy plus-fours and boot gaiters for… Riding? Hunting? Only Sid knows what he’s going for, here.
Samir - His outfits have been getting fancier over the course of the story, but for his profile picture, he’s got a simple lace-up v-neck t-shirt with rolled cuffs.
Right, that’s all for now, but new pages are on the way, I promise!