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Starting February 1st ALL new Exiern pages will post ONLY to Exiern.com and Our Patreon. Please read and support us there!
Swords, Sorcery, And Then Some!
Howdy, New Readers! Thanks for reading Exiern!
Written by Scott T. Hicken with art by Antipus, the comic updates Mondays. Please check out the Archive to enjoy the earlier adventures of Typh and Peonie!
Exiern contains mature themes and is best for readers 18+.
@ku A tally mark is basically a way of counting and keeping score. 4 sets of vertical lines with a 5th cutting through it on a diagonal. Then you start over.
@ku
It’s when you count by drawing a vertical line for each thing. It’s useful because you don’t have to erase anything, just add more lines.
Usually it’s 4 vertical lines, then you slash them to represent 5. Then start drawing more lines to the right.
Wait, how is Isabel going to get re-stoned if Teresa is still in there gawking at the pederast’s little black book with the others? Doesn’t I. need a spell singer to do so? Or is that rune enough? Confused.
Recently discovered this webcomic in the last week or so. Credit where credit’s due has to go to Badwebcomics actually. A long winding route led me there when I was looking for reviews of something else. That indirectly led to a group listing which including this one and the first thing I noticed was that the examples of the art was really good.
So, I started reading it from the beginning and have since probably read the whole thing through at least twice. Short version, I think it’s really, really good.
I like all the major arcs for different reasons, the first for the comedy, the fourth wall breaking and poking fun at the conventions and tropes of the genre. The second has the story getting more serious and complex but not needlessly so, glad to see the humour hasn’t disappeared. Really looking forward to seeing where this third arc is going, the only unavoidable drawback is that I’m at the same pace as everyone else now. The characters are great and I really like what they’ve done with the supporting cast too. Glad to hear the Dark Reflections version is also going to be back on a regular schedule (I hope I read that right) as that’s really good too.
Needless to say, I guess you can tell that I don’t actually agree with the Badwebcomics people and their opinion though …
Hey @Shan, thanks so much for the kind words! Really happy that you are enjoying it! And yes, Dark Reflections is back in production. I hope the rest of this arc and the next one can live up to my predecessors’!
Seriously, it’s one of the best things I’ve read in ages (since Andy Weir’s “The Martian” in my case). So much so, I promise to back that up with some (Australian) $ as soon as I’m able.
A couple of quick questions for now. Any chance of a Dark Reflections crossover? (I’d be guessing it’d be something simple like the same character passing a mirror at the same time in their alternate universes and not noticing it’s their alternate world counterpart). Appreciate that could be very difficult since their timelines are possibly out of whack due to differing rates of production.
Secondly and lastly, is Pip making a reappearance one day possibly?
While it is possible that characters from each world could cross paths, and I did indeed have a plan to do so at one point, there are no plans to do so right now. My understanding of the fabric of Exiern’s world means that it IS possible, and the keys to that will be made clearer in a future story.
… and not noticing it’s their alternate world counterpart *in the reflection* is obviously what I meant.
Excellent, I think that answers everything I wanted to know for now. Already started to contribute by turning my adblock off just for this domain. (That does contribute something doesn’t it? …)
@Shan – Yes, turning off adblock does help us. I don’t talk about it because everyone should surf the web how they like, but our primary source of income is still ad views. Of course, one day I’d like to make Exiern independent of those and their restrictions!
@CPUGuy1 – It is unlikely we will see the interior of the book, not to draw out any drama but – thanks to the fun times of working with the original book from Faden’s library – I have learned that doing book pages is a pain in the neck! And I’m saving that pain for the return of Faden’s book. 😉
@Shan, the badwebcomics wiki is one where you can find quite a bit of good criticism, providing you’re willing to sift through the snark to find it. I actually had more than one correspondence with the reviewers at that site, and a great deal of the feedback was useful in helping polish the work I did during my run.
The only thing that I kinda find irritating is that the wiki never really follows up their initial review… which in the spirit of fairness is understandable considering that they really don’t have that many people who contribute, but regardless can lead to a lot of people forming opinions that might not be accurate between the time of the original review and how a comic is progressing currently.
The main review there for Exiern is a strange one, the author seemed to me to be positively enraged by the mere existence of it. Strangely, the responses to the review were in the Angry Reactions section, which was odd as they were anything but … unless they put them there because of the reply they gave to the first one from the original creator was very angry indeed.
I also did find someone making note of your response in the forums and a mention that they should probably get around to responding one day but that was a few years ago, so I suspect that isn’t happening.
I guess the short version is that the biggest difference between what they said about any strip and what I thought of it after reading it myself would be with this one (definitely on the opposite end in this case). Mind you, I don’t even attempt to read many of the strips they list but this one hooked me to make an initial look because of the examples of the artwork they put up. They’re not wrong about it being better than most of the other things out there, that’s for sure.
@Shan @Chemiclord I also referred to them for perspective, particularly in how Exiern could be viewed in the “worst” way – but I will always be a fan and grateful for Drowemos’ run despite what anyone else says (yours as well, Chemic).
That site is also in the Top 20 All Time Traffic Referrers to Exiern so I can’t possibly be mad at them! 😉
I’m concerned that they have never heard of a lot of the names. Were they wiped from existence or something? Heck of a way to commit murder. Who needs to clean up the body when you can just make it so they never existed, or that no one ever heard of them.
AYH: just because Terry doesn’t recognize some of the names doesn’t mean they have been wiped from existence. Not sure what level Terry was before he got Tiff’ed during that ‘botched’ attempt to break the ‘curse’, but unless he was one of the ones on the list, there is not really any reason to believe he should know everyone (they could be foreigners for example, or members of a different congregation)
Wait, was that Terry or Kingie who said they didn’t recognize some of the names? Even if it was Kingie, there is still no reason why he would know every member of the Church
She has expanded a great deal to be able to read the most current narrator’s books and scrolls. Otherwise agree with everybody else that the anticipation is killing me.
Oops, sorry, wrong webcomic. I wish I could edit the darn things, rather than display my stupidity for all to see forever… I know, Welcome to the Internet…
I’m guessing that the names Teresa doesn’t recognize aren’t members of the Church of Rem, they’re officials within the Luminary Alliance. That would explain Urtica’s shocked look, seeing that Coriander has leverage over members of his government.
“I’m guessing that the names Teresa doesn’t recognize aren’t members of the Church of Rem, they’re officials within the Luminary Alliance.”
That’s one possibility. Mine is based on what some known sociopathic child abusing serial killers do. I’m afraid it would be a list of those children he abused, and then had killed. Any survivors were those he could be sure wouldn’t talk, for one reason or another.
Be a Producer!Your name/title with an optional SFW hyperlink will be posted prominently HERE following the close of the month! You’ll also receive monthly mailings from Exiern’s author, Scott T. Hicken!
Looks like our esteemed “priest” has been murdering his way to the top.
Can you explain for non-English-native – what is “tally mark”?
Something like “checkbox”?
@Uhl I don’t think it’s murders, or not just murders.
Remember the other crimes Coriander is accused of.
@ku A tally mark is basically a way of counting and keeping score. 4 sets of vertical lines with a 5th cutting through it on a diagonal. Then you start over.
@ku
It’s when you count by drawing a vertical line for each thing. It’s useful because you don’t have to erase anything, just add more lines.
Usually it’s 4 vertical lines, then you slash them to represent 5. Then start drawing more lines to the right.
@ku These: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/math/tally/tallytable2.GIF
Wait, how is Isabel going to get re-stoned if Teresa is still in there gawking at the pederast’s little black book with the others? Doesn’t I. need a spell singer to do so? Or is that rune enough? Confused.
Recently discovered this webcomic in the last week or so. Credit where credit’s due has to go to Badwebcomics actually. A long winding route led me there when I was looking for reviews of something else. That indirectly led to a group listing which including this one and the first thing I noticed was that the examples of the art was really good.
So, I started reading it from the beginning and have since probably read the whole thing through at least twice. Short version, I think it’s really, really good.
I like all the major arcs for different reasons, the first for the comedy, the fourth wall breaking and poking fun at the conventions and tropes of the genre. The second has the story getting more serious and complex but not needlessly so, glad to see the humour hasn’t disappeared. Really looking forward to seeing where this third arc is going, the only unavoidable drawback is that I’m at the same pace as everyone else now. The characters are great and I really like what they’ve done with the supporting cast too. Glad to hear the Dark Reflections version is also going to be back on a regular schedule (I hope I read that right) as that’s really good too.
Needless to say, I guess you can tell that I don’t actually agree with the Badwebcomics people and their opinion though …
@RandomSpectator.
They explained that already, it’s why they gave Isabel the stone.
Hey @Shan, thanks so much for the kind words! Really happy that you are enjoying it! And yes, Dark Reflections is back in production. I hope the rest of this arc and the next one can live up to my predecessors’!
Seriously, it’s one of the best things I’ve read in ages (since Andy Weir’s “The Martian” in my case). So much so, I promise to back that up with some (Australian) $ as soon as I’m able.
A couple of quick questions for now. Any chance of a Dark Reflections crossover? (I’d be guessing it’d be something simple like the same character passing a mirror at the same time in their alternate universes and not noticing it’s their alternate world counterpart). Appreciate that could be very difficult since their timelines are possibly out of whack due to differing rates of production.
Secondly and lastly, is Pip making a reappearance one day possibly?
@Shan – Thanks again, much appreciated! 🙂
While it is possible that characters from each world could cross paths, and I did indeed have a plan to do so at one point, there are no plans to do so right now. My understanding of the fabric of Exiern’s world means that it IS possible, and the keys to that will be made clearer in a future story.
Pip will be back. All I’m saying right now. 😉
… and not noticing it’s their alternate world counterpart *in the reflection* is obviously what I meant.
Excellent, I think that answers everything I wanted to know for now. Already started to contribute by turning my adblock off just for this domain. (That does contribute something doesn’t it? …)
OH, COME ON!!!
Show us what is going on!!!
Don’t just give us another worded cliff-hanger …
This is getting exciting … even though I don’t know what they are looking at.
List of priests list of victims times the been victimized as tally marks..
@Shan – Yes, turning off adblock does help us. I don’t talk about it because everyone should surf the web how they like, but our primary source of income is still ad views. Of course, one day I’d like to make Exiern independent of those and their restrictions!
@CPUGuy1 – It is unlikely we will see the interior of the book, not to draw out any drama but – thanks to the fun times of working with the original book from Faden’s library – I have learned that doing book pages is a pain in the neck! And I’m saving that pain for the return of Faden’s book. 😉
@Shan, the badwebcomics wiki is one where you can find quite a bit of good criticism, providing you’re willing to sift through the snark to find it. I actually had more than one correspondence with the reviewers at that site, and a great deal of the feedback was useful in helping polish the work I did during my run.
The only thing that I kinda find irritating is that the wiki never really follows up their initial review… which in the spirit of fairness is understandable considering that they really don’t have that many people who contribute, but regardless can lead to a lot of people forming opinions that might not be accurate between the time of the original review and how a comic is progressing currently.
@ chemiclord
The main review there for Exiern is a strange one, the author seemed to me to be positively enraged by the mere existence of it. Strangely, the responses to the review were in the Angry Reactions section, which was odd as they were anything but … unless they put them there because of the reply they gave to the first one from the original creator was very angry indeed.
I also did find someone making note of your response in the forums and a mention that they should probably get around to responding one day but that was a few years ago, so I suspect that isn’t happening.
I guess the short version is that the biggest difference between what they said about any strip and what I thought of it after reading it myself would be with this one (definitely on the opposite end in this case). Mind you, I don’t even attempt to read many of the strips they list but this one hooked me to make an initial look because of the examples of the artwork they put up. They’re not wrong about it being better than most of the other things out there, that’s for sure.
@Shan @Chemiclord I also referred to them for perspective, particularly in how Exiern could be viewed in the “worst” way – but I will always be a fan and grateful for Drowemos’ run despite what anyone else says (yours as well, Chemic).
That site is also in the Top 20 All Time Traffic Referrers to Exiern so I can’t possibly be mad at them! 😉
I’m concerned that they have never heard of a lot of the names. Were they wiped from existence or something? Heck of a way to commit murder. Who needs to clean up the body when you can just make it so they never existed, or that no one ever heard of them.
Kudos to Scott for remembering that Tiff is effectively illiterate.
Wait, has this page been posted before? Positive have seen that last panel before!!
AYH: just because Terry doesn’t recognize some of the names doesn’t mean they have been wiped from existence. Not sure what level Terry was before he got Tiff’ed during that ‘botched’ attempt to break the ‘curse’, but unless he was one of the ones on the list, there is not really any reason to believe he should know everyone (they could be foreigners for example, or members of a different congregation)
Wait, was that Terry or Kingie who said they didn’t recognize some of the names? Even if it was Kingie, there is still no reason why he would know every member of the Church
Oh, and it’s good to see the Golem Boys, was wondering why Issie knocked on the door and not one of them
Following Isabel around must get rather constraining in that armor
Offend me once, and you get from one to three tally points. Redeem 10 tally points for a free murder.
@Kouta – what about this strip from The Desert Ice (21) arc:
http://www.exiern.com/2013/07/23/continuing-education/
She has expanded a great deal to be able to read the most current narrator’s books and scrolls. Otherwise agree with everybody else that the anticipation is killing me.
AYH,
I take it more to just mean the other list is non-church people. suppliers perhaps? some kind of blackmail list? or the like.
@Kouta Typhan-Knee learned to read, they aren’t illiterate anymore.
@Guesticus: I think it’s because the guards were blocking Isabel from views, so anyone walking by would just see them.
Urrt names?
Oops, sorry, wrong webcomic. I wish I could edit the darn things, rather than display my stupidity for all to see forever… I know, Welcome to the Internet…
I’m guessing that the names Teresa doesn’t recognize aren’t members of the Church of Rem, they’re officials within the Luminary Alliance. That would explain Urtica’s shocked look, seeing that Coriander has leverage over members of his government.
“I’m guessing that the names Teresa doesn’t recognize aren’t members of the Church of Rem, they’re officials within the Luminary Alliance.”
That’s one possibility. Mine is based on what some known sociopathic child abusing serial killers do. I’m afraid it would be a list of those children he abused, and then had killed. Any survivors were those he could be sure wouldn’t talk, for one reason or another.
Isabela must be fairly well educated to have recognized the value of this book—which I’m guessing is something like a diary or log.
Tom: A log of victims was my first thought as well. But Urtica’s reaction is so strong, I think this must be more than that. Brandi may have it right.
Yes, but without distinct proof of what those tally marks mean, it is meaningless.
Scott Hicken Don’t tease us I would love to see Fayden’s book back. Loved that book.
I wonder how long Isabel has to pretend to be a statue though?
Sword to the face, probably the best solution for this problem and the most amusing.
Make the Evil King sweat.