March 28th, 2017
MAN you guys I just gotta tell you how awesome it was reading all your comments last week!! I MEAN IT ALWAYS IS, but there were so many cool, thoughtful posts, and I just feel so fortunate that you all are reading and sharing your thoughts! ;u; Thank you so much!!
As always, don't forget to vote for an extra doodle! This one has a little info about the trader religion.
Vote Incentive for This Comic.
Gosh case sensitive captcha codes are annoying when my phone wants to capitalize the first letter constantly :|
posted at 12:10am on March 28th, 2017
Ohhhhh, the explanation of the turban is really neat! I really love the worldbuilding in RW. ;v;
Also, the lighting makes it hard to discern Xira's natural hair color? Is he? Blond??
posted at 12:08am on March 28th, 2017
Yes, he is blond. Mind magic runewriters have hair tips which are black, though (if I remember correctly), so it would be very obvious exactly what kind of runewriter he is if he wasn't a trader who , along with all of his people, wears a turban.
And yes, I agree that the worldbuilding is very well done - for me, at least, a good storyline can be completely ruined by not thinking through the mechanics of how the background (world) where the story is set works, so I'm super happy with RW! :)
posted at 2:35pm on March 28th, 2017
Aw, thanks guys! And yes, he is blonde! His hair colour is actually very close to Tareth's.
posted at 7:13pm on March 29th, 2017
Sev, he just saved your ass. Don't be a dick.
posted at 12:11am on March 28th, 2017
And lost a finger doing it, don't forget.
posted at 3:38pm on March 28th, 2017
On a side note, if the hair is how you distinguish runewriters could Xira just shave his head?
posted at 12:15am on March 28th, 2017
That's because there's runes on their scalp too! If you cut your hair, the part what shows what runewriter you are will actually change to be at the ends. It's really interesting.
posted at 1:05am on March 28th, 2017
Their scalps are marked. I don't know if you can tell what sort of runewriter they are from them, but both Æmber and the healer priest back in the temple have visible marks.
posted at 1:30am on March 28th, 2017
Yup! You can see the markings easily on the older priest, and there are some more details in this vote incentive!
posted at 7:13pm on March 29th, 2017
Somehow I completely missed that that guy was a runewriter (and I knew they have marks, I just... didn't notice?), so who knows, maybe it would work? XD ^^"
posted at 12:09pm on March 31st, 2017
I WASN'T PREPARED FOR XIRA TEARS... MY HEART....
posted at 1:04am on March 28th, 2017
It is interesting reason for the custom of keeping the hair covered! I'm wondering if the Alaqan have as big a prejudice against witches as other peoples, now?
I'm really hoping the next thing that Sev comes out with is that he wouldn't - then - but now he knows Xira better, he is sorry for that, as Xira has risked much to help them. He can be very clumsy, can Severian, but he reminds me a lot of a great big Labrador!
Not sure what Jonan is still stewing over in the second panel, though!
posted at 1:25am on March 28th, 2017
Could be "nobody is adequately worried about this." Could be "oh no they're getting mushy." Could be "I am really dizzy and wonder if I'm ever going to be able to eat again."
posted at 2:16am on March 28th, 2017
Heh, or maybe 'yes, exactly, it's weird to be agreeing with Sev, but finally someone gets it@' ?
posted at 1:47pm on March 28th, 2017
Heh, yeah, Jonan really wants us to know he isn't into all the feels (just ignore the cute Shetland Necropony that tries to sit in his lap)
posted at 4:07pm on March 28th, 2017
Re: the prejudice against witches, that's actually specific to Varænske. Alaqa doesn't consider any particular type of magic worse than any other type in that way. (In fact, since witchcraft is a less flashy kind of magic, I can see some folks being a lil more comfy with it than other types).
Also I love this description of Sev,,,,
posted at 7:13pm on March 29th, 2017
-waves hand wildly in the air-
So....are there more witches among the Alaqan people? Do certain runewriter 'types' show up more in certain groups of people than others?
posted at 1:55am on March 28th, 2017
In the sense of "are witches more commonly born to Alaqan families?" nope! Runewriters are pretty much distributed randomly, as far as anyone can tell.
In the sense of "are there more witches in Alaqa because they're not being marked, banished, and executed for their powers?" QUITE POSSIBLY,,,,,,
posted at 7:11pm on March 29th, 2017
I wish to mention that Sev is using past tense "i wouldn't" wouldn't being the key word
posted at 2:43am on March 28th, 2017
I AM SO HOPING IT IS A "wouldn't have".
Not sure if this can be understood the same way. I wish Sev came around. Maybe he means he wouldnt have trusted him then, but now maybe he would? Please Sev. Pretty puhlease!!! I just want then to get along. :(
posted at 12:48pm on March 28th, 2017
You know I'm surprised that people are ACTUALLY CALMING DOWN. Yeah, they are being mean to Xira but things have turned back to just talking.
posted at 7:45am on March 28th, 2017
Okay, Sev, I know there's a lot of ingrained prejudice going on here, but come on. Xira's done nothing but try to help you and your group.
That being said, oh Artist do I hope Xira actually deserves their trust. I like Xira so much, but I'm still mightily worried by this mental conversation: http://runewriters.com/index.php?c=179
posted at 1:24pm on March 28th, 2017
I'm hoping Sev is leading up to a 'I wouldn't, have, but now I do' too. I mean if Xira was tweaking their minds as he pleased all the time, they'd all probably think witches were the best thing ever by now, and he'd never have let a humiliating scene like this happen.
As to Xira's loyalties, I hope so too! Maybe the 'lead' he had was on fixing his own miscast? Jonan is supposed to be a friend of this Loa they're going to see, right? So it could be as simple as thinking if he sticks with them maybe he'll get in on the wishes granted 'wizard of oz' style? And I mean someone could still have a hold over Xira or something, but I just can't see him twirly-mustache betraying the group anymore, especially if they do accept him here when no one ever does. Here's hoping, at least!
posted at 1:58pm on March 28th, 2017
I'd guess that unless the gang messes this conversation up super badly, Xira would end up at the worst with c conflicting loyalties?
Even if the thing he's been sidetracked from I is Bad News, I can't see him betraying his new friends unless he's betrayed first.
posted at 3:42am on March 30th, 2017
Also: Tareth, you're my hero. :)
posted at 1:59pm on March 28th, 2017
I am very concerned about the way Xira has been in the last couple of pages. He has been adept at distracting people, even without his powers and despite his relatively young age, but after a relatively minor assault (Jonan only grabs the headdress, never lays a finger on Xira or restricts him) he falls to pieces; he is cowering, he appears to be hyperventalating, he is begging with tears in his eyes for the people who have been relatively friendly to him not to reveal him, not to reject him (or worse). Just what has he gone through to make him react like this? It is typical of people who have been deeply abused at some point :(
posted at 4:35pm on March 28th, 2017
I mean, I feel it's safe to assume that being a witch, its par for the course to expect violent reactions. There's a lot of hatred and mistrust towards witches, so its probably really scary for some one to grab him and expose him like that. He only kind of knows these people, and while he might know enough to know they won't attack him further, he probably can't be sure they won't report him, which could lead to more violence from others.
posted at 5:34pm on March 28th, 2017
If he's turned in he'll be forced to get that witch tattoo on his face too, so even if the party isn't likely to outright attack him, he's facing the very real possibility of being permanently marked, and losing any chance of a life as a merchant. He said something like that in the side material I think, about who's going to trust a person trying to sell you something that can nudge your mind?
I don't know if he's had bad experiences in the past, but it seems like there's a lot worth being terrified of already.
posted at 9:06pm on March 28th, 2017
Agreed but his reaction seems traumatized to me 😞
Terror doesn't always go with this kind of helplessness. Though, he is v young; maybe he just doesn't have coping strategies for things going wrong yet?
posted at 3:48am on March 30th, 2017
Okay Sev might be rude here but from his perspective he is actually being pretty smart, the best policy when dealing with a mind reader is being honest, after all. No point in lying about how you feel if the person can just read your mind and know how you really feel, they might actually appreciate the honesty.
posted at 8:54pm on March 28th, 2017
I love this perspective, "if you don't trust the mindreader JUST GO AHEAD AND TELL HIM??? HES A MINDREADER"
posted at 11:05am on March 31st, 2017
Oh man, Sev. Xira just rescued his butt -and- lost a finger to you, now's not the time :C
This reminds me of when someone told me something like 'smart people get a kick out of manipulating others, it's part of their nature to seek intellectual stimulation and they get it out of using that intelligence to manipulate others'
Honestly... what?! So, some people are better at influencing the decisions and opinions of others, but does that mean they have to have a selfish motive in mind? Heck no. If an activist is intelligent and very successful at maneuvering people of all kinds of interests to be more mindful of the environment, does this manipulation have to be self-serving, only for stimulation and evil? Nah to me it looks like they're just trying to help to the best of their abilities.
If someone's good at manipulating others and doesn't employ that skill to maneuver someone out of self-harm, wouldn't that apathy be way worse. :C
posted at 9:07pm on March 28th, 2017
Wow, Sev is mad. I can't remember the last time I saw him mad.
posted at 9:08pm on March 28th, 2017
May I just say that the turban explanation is pretty much the greatest thing?
posted at 11:44pm on March 28th, 2017
I understand the mechanics of runewriters' hair, that the ends are always the colour of the type and the scalp is marked, but would it be possible to trim your hair as short as possible so that only the runewriter colour is visible? Then nobody would be able to tell whether your hair was just dyed. Or would the hair do something sneaky and make the coloured tips much shorter, so you'd still be able to see natural-coloured roots?
posted at 7:27am on March 29th, 2017
Nah, it'd probably be possible, since there's nothing inherent about the natural hair colour that asserts itself the way the magical colour does. But if your hair is more black, red, green, or purple than is naturally possible, the assumption is going to be that you're a runewriter. Even black, is the most subtle colour, would be a risky thing to just walk around with, since witch-black is not the same colour as naturally black hair.
posted at 7:11pm on March 29th, 2017
OH YES. I forgot to say, absolutely loved the turban background!!
posted at 4:32pm on March 29th, 2017
Wait, so if the turban is based in "We are all equal, we do not single anyone out [by their rune-hair]", why were those Alaquans we saw outside of Dhemin okay with showing their hair to the guard? Wouldn't that sort of single out any other Alaquan coming through who wouldn't show their hair (ie Xira)? Are they just Not Very Devout Alaquans?
Unrelated question: Could an illusionist runewriter just illusion their own appearance to not look like a runewriter, or would the hair magic still supersede the illusion?
posted at 11:09am on March 30th, 2017
Honestly, it's a matter of compromise; Alaqan culture tends not to celebrate or glorify defiance, so making a stand and demanding to be accommodated would feel like a sort of gauche response. I don't think it'd quite be fair to assume someone is Not Truly Devout because they were willing to try to find a compromise that allowed them to keep their hair covered, but still do business in the capital. Many absolutely consider it an unfair demand, but are willing to compromise in order to maintain relations in Varænske.
Also, a religion that's so closely tied to cultural identity isn't always gonna connect so directly. For some Alaqans it would just be a matter of "I cover my hair because I am Alaqan, and we believe it's respectful and right to keep that to yourself."
(For the record, a caravan with a witch among them would doubtless do all they could to quietly protect that member from having to reveal himself, but that's less about the hair covering at that point and more about the obligation to look out for family).
Re: the unrelated question: Yes! Both vision-maker witches and disguise shapechangers would be capable of hiding their hair colour. The runewriter colour isn't an active spell or anything; it's just the visual evidence of the magic flowing through a runewriter.
posted at 12:25am on March 31st, 2017
Okay, so the fact that Sev said that kinda sucks, but come on now. Really think about it. Maybe I'm just not a trusting person, but if someone came out of the blue to 'help' me, and I found out that they had the ability to manipulate minds, I'd have a REALLY difficult time trusting them. Period. When everything you perceive could potentially have been a lie from the beginning and you CAN'T trust your own intuition because you don't know if it's being manipulated, then it causes problems. Especially if you've been taken advantage of in the past by people with that ability (as Sev's devoured memory seemed to indicate).
Don't get me wrong, I love Xira....but I totally can see where Sev's coming from and absolutely can't judge him for it.
posted at 5:44pm on March 30th, 2017
Xira: "Because its something I had to keep secret at all times if I wanted to live! There are people out there that will kill me on sight! I know you guys for like a few days, do you seriously expect me to just mention it off-hand?"
That would have been good if he didn't try denial when it would have been impossible.
posted at 10:34am on April 1st, 2017
Oh and "The thing about mind-bending is that everyone gets very paranoid about it. I don't care to read random people's minds but everyone thinks I do anyway and people start making assumptions on the worst they can think of. With that in mind, is it really surprising that I am not forthcoming about this unless I feel I can absolutely trust you?"
posted at 5:07pm on April 1st, 2017
Comment by NoRAd
Well you sure threw some gasoline on *that* fire...
posted at 12:08am on March 28th, 2017