January 4th, 2016
I'm so grateful and excited to be able to post again!! Thank you sooooo much for being the coolest readers to ever deal with a 2 year indefinite hiatus -- I highly encourage anyone who hasn't done this yet to reread Chapter 3 at least real quick to refresh on what was even going on here, since RW, uh, tends to have a lot going on. (And I changed a major character, so there's that also)
Vote Incentive for This Comic.
(AH YES THAT WORKED OUT SO WELL FOR HIM BEFORE)
"'I told you so'ing in his head" might be a pretty consistent description of Jonan, just, in general.
but in seriousness AHHHHHH THANK YOU KIRI ; u ; IM SO GLAD YOURE EXCITED, IM EXCITED TOO!!!
posted at 12:45pm on January 4th, 2016
EEEEEEE WELCOME BACK SHAZZBAA/RUNEWRITERS!! I'M SO EXCITED!
posted at 12:57am on January 4th, 2016
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THANK YOU FRIEND!!! ; u ; It's so cool to see all these names I recognise on here YOU GUYS ARE SO COOL TO STICK AROUND!!
I hope it's worth the wait!! * u *
posted at 12:46pm on January 4th, 2016
I'm so excited, Shazzbaa, and knowing that this webcomic is up and running again is in itself worth the wait! :D
posted at 1:05am on January 5th, 2016
On an actual story-related note, there's something a reread has made me wonder about. I'd gotten the impression that there were four kinds of magic (runewriter magic, anyway), each tied to its own color. Green shapechangers, red life magic, purple elementals, and black mind magic.
But the reread made me realize that OH HEY THERE'S AT LEAST ONE OTHER COLOR! And it has something to do with creating impenetrable forcefields. So blue=energy magic? But referencing the fat aberrants filler, energy magic is purple. So blue magic what are you???
Of course, this is assuming each kind of magic has its own specific aberrant. But it seems like they do.
posted at 1:24am on January 4th, 2016
I've been working on the assumption that blue magic is all to do with time/space. Maybe with some telekinesis stuff thrown in. So, like, sorta the magic of force and momentum.
However, all of that is just rampant speculation based on a single panel. Like you, I think most of my understanding of runewriter magic is based on the fat aberrant filler.
posted at 6:44am on January 4th, 2016
The time idea would also make sense given that she's been in there for, apparently, years. It answers how she hasn't starved in there, if she's kind of frozen in time too.
posted at 1:54pm on January 4th, 2016
*reads this and just smiles serenely in response* C:
posted at 12:47pm on January 4th, 2016
Well, we know there are different schools of magic within each color: the greek elements for, well, elementals, and life, death, and nature for life mages. We know blue can do barriers (and if you think that means they're purely defensive casters, you've never seen Kekkaishi), so then going at it from the principles angle, the opposite of barriers (separation) would be joining, connecting, or fusing things.
posted at 1:26pm on January 5th, 2016
I have so much to say!
1) YAAAAAY! Congrats on the resuming! And thanks for continuing to make this comic. I know it very probably means more to you than to us, but this comic is still dear to us too :)
2) The lighting is so beautifully done on this page!!! Very nice sun set.
3) WHAT'S GOING ON WITH SEV'S FACE?! His transform hick-ups are really getting out of hand, aren't they? I mean he is supposed to be a dragon, right? And last time we saw hi ma dragon, his face was lizard-like too. So more time for concern I guess. I'm afraid for what's goint to happen when he shifts back.
4) No, Xira! Don't do anything stupid, we have Sev for that.
posted at 3:37am on January 4th, 2016
So doing a re-reading and wondering, if this is ever going to ome back to bite them? http://runewriters.com/index.php?c=55
So much to look forward to.
posted at 8:51am on January 4th, 2016
3) Those wings look like they might not be quite right either (though I'll have to look back at his dragon form to be sure, they might just be folded). And he seems to be skin colored! I'm wondering if he was maybe too tired to manage the full transformation? If this whole form is a miscast this is going to get even more complicated than it was. D:
Worry expressed, I actually really like the visual design of whatever's going on here. Sev, you are turning into a creepy critter after my own heart~
posted at 11:01am on January 4th, 2016
AHhhhh thank you thank you!! IT'S SO COOL YOU GUYS ARE EXCITED TO SEE THE COMIC AGAIN, I love these silly characters so much and I'm just blown away how much you guys care about them too!! *u*
posted at 12:50pm on January 4th, 2016
I love point 4 here.. now there's two of them!!
So happy this is back, and whether he should or not, eagerly awaiting Xira probably-doing-something-stupid.
posted at 3:35am on January 5th, 2016
that's my new tagline
Runewriters: Somebody Is Probably Going To Do Something Stupid
posted at 12:34pm on January 6th, 2016
But it's very fitting! In a world where "Magic can always go wrong" :)
posted at 12:18pm on January 8th, 2016
I WAITED TWO YEARS FOR THIS. IN AZKABAN. No but I'm all seriousness thank you so much for continuing, Runewriters is/was/is going to be a weekly treat for me. I love the world, the characters, everything. I'm so glad it's back.
(Sev please be reasonable that is not a dragon. Also defenestration is kinda harsh.)
posted at 4:13am on January 4th, 2016
omg xD BUT AHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I'm super pumped I've been given the chance to start updating again, and I'm so glad you guys are pumped for it too!! *u* LETS DO THIS!!!
(I-IT'S......CLOSE..... TO A DRAGON.......)
posted at 12:55pm on January 4th, 2016
WOOOOOOOOOOO We're back BAYBEEEEEEEEEEE
Welcome back!
posted at 5:48am on January 4th, 2016
Thank you so much!!! * u *
posted at 12:55pm on January 4th, 2016
Huh. And here I was expecting some kind of musical recap.
But, seriously, I think I speak for everyone here when I say that this page has been well worth the wait. My only question is, how the hell did Sev manage to ACCIDENTALLY throw someone through a window?
posted at 6:28am on January 4th, 2016
I MEAN,,,, IF IT'S A MUSICAL RECAP then the only one of the main three who could do it would be....Severian
I feel like a recap from Severian might be......... less useful than one might hope for a recap to be xD
posted at 12:58pm on January 4th, 2016
I'm sure Tari could manage (assumedly poor - non of her fault) vocals or maybe the piano and... C: and JONAN COULD BE DANCING! *u*
Couldn't resist. Sorry, not sorry.
posted at 6:22am on January 5th, 2016
TARETH HAS LITERALLY NEVER EXPERIENCED MUSIC, SHE CANNOT SING, I'M SORRY, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE
IF THERE'S EVER AN RW MUSICAL SHE WILL NOT GET TO SING
I'm okay with Jonan dancing though. He has zombies. We can get Thriller going in here.
posted at 12:49pm on January 6th, 2016
Tareth could easily be on drums. She can feel the vibrations and since she can see that they coordinate with the dancing, she can certainly experience that element of 'music'. <3
posted at 12:02pm on January 9th, 2016
Shazzcap. XD
posted at 12:57pm on January 11th, 2016
Hahaha we're back with an explosive start! Wooot! 8D
posted at 7:05am on January 4th, 2016
When I first went on hiatus, I was debating between leaving off on 3.41 or going ahead to 3.42 and cutting it off there. CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT A HORRIBLE CLIFFHANGER THIS ONE WOULD BE FOR TWO YEARS?????????
posted at 12:59pm on January 4th, 2016
Thank you!
posted at 12:00pm on January 9th, 2016
Cheers. Welcome back!
posted at 7:34am on January 4th, 2016
Thank you so much! ;u;
posted at 1:00pm on January 4th, 2016
Yay! Welcome back! *confetti* I missed this comic :D
*popcorn*
posted at 10:35am on January 4th, 2016
THROWS CONFETTI, JUST, EVERYWHERE
Thank you friend!!!!! *u*
posted at 1:00pm on January 4th, 2016
Yeah, that's pretty much what I'm feeling right now as well!
posted at 12:03pm on January 9th, 2016
Welcome back! Good to see this going again. You're still pretty dang far from the worst on hiatus length, anyway.
Also, RSS feed readers make waiting through hiatuses really easy.
posted at 11:01am on January 4th, 2016
Hahaha, thank you! xD I guess coming back at all would automatically drop RW a few ranks on the list of "worst hiatuses" xD
posted at 1:03pm on January 4th, 2016
Ooooooh you're back you're back! You really are back! (Just in case you didn't know. You're back!)
I started to read Runewriters two years ago, like two weeks before the hiatus. I went quite aijdfoiöasjdöfikjasdöflijasdöifj can't happen what is this when the hiatus started, because pretty much every comic I read back then announced a break or hiatus etc right after I found them! (Though you had a very good reason.) I waited for a year, and then there was ANOTHER hiatus. I mean oh god it felt like an eternity to think there's one more year to wait for this to come back... I thought you're going to forget the whole comic and get bored and start doing something else instead, but you're back and I'm so excited and aaaaaaaaaaah!
Ok I guess that's enough of that.
So, I guess I tried to tell you how much I like this comic! The colours are amazing. I don't really know how to describe it but it looks very calm. (Yes there's a sword and kinda-like-soldiers and a DRAGON in the page and I say "it looks very calm". Hmm. Well, it does.)
I will also admire you for drawing all those tiny little things over and over again, like the patterns in the mind of that water-healer-lady whose name I can't remember or all those people in the streets and all the layers of their clothing. I think it must be at least sometimes frustrating to repeat the same things (as in "yes finally the X looks perfect now I only have to do it 20 times again") but it really makes the comic look so cool. I can see you really care about Runewriters and try your best, and that's something that is very nice to read.
And the characters are so different! None of them look alike and everyone has their own personality. It's so great. During these two years, I had forgot their names but not their personalities. And I like them all. I mean I can't say any of them are less planned or somehow more boring than the others. They all seem so... real. Extra bonus points for having a deaf main character. And super extra bonus points for having a deaf main character whose deafness is not The Thing. Of course it has its own influence on the plot when Tarri can't hear, but you don't bring it up all the time.
I think the only thing you could improve is showing the age. This is just my opinion, but I think it's hard to tell the characters' ages by looking at them. Like I thought Quentin is maybe 30-40 when he's actually my age (??? no what he's the big boss of the Order what have I done with my life) and Esra is the one who's 30 -- even though I thought he's 20. But I do think Tarri and Iavin look as old (or young?) as they are.
I'm also a bit suspicious if anyone can really read the lips like Tarri does. I've read about it like 10000 years ago but I can't remember anything else than that some people tried to teach deaf children to speak and read the lips so that they'd be more "normal", but they failed because that's so difficult to learn. In the end, the kids were using their own sign language. Of course Tarri needs to communicate without teaching all of them the signs first, but doesn't she ever make mistakes? Also, don't people ever try to ARTICULATE VERY CLEARLY, thinking they're helpful when they find out she's deaf? (Once again, I've read that's not good at all because if you do that, you overdo all the sounds so that it's almost impossible to recognize them anymore. But that's something people usually do, just like they think you can make a foreigner understand your language if you just speak long enough.)
Um okay I think that's all I wanted to say. I kinda swore that I'll write a comment if you ever come back, and now you did, so here we are. I've had a great time reading your comic, and I'm really glad we'll get more pages again. :) Thank you so much!
(Aaand because everyone says so, I'll say it too: not a native speaker here~! I don't want to say I'm sorry for my English because I'm not, so let's say that if you spot a mistake, deal with it. :D Anything you see is 100% correct... in Finglish.)
posted at 1:26pm on January 4th, 2016
Nah, Tarri's lip reading is actually pretty accurate, I had hearing trouble as a kid and I used to lip read a lot. It does get annoying when people exaggerate their annunciation in an attempt to make it "easier", though.
posted at 2:01pm on January 4th, 2016
Oh dude! This is really cool to know, thanks for sharing that!
posted at 3:49pm on January 4th, 2016
OH MAN OH MAN thank you for such a detailed comment! ; u ; And thank you so much for all your kind words on the comic, I'm really super touched!! I'M DEFINITELY A SUCKER FOR DETAILS and I'm really glad you like what that brings to the comic ; u ; And remembering the characters over a 2-year hiatus is high praise indeed -- thank you so much!! ; u ;
Re: Age -- as someone who is nearly Esra's age but frequently gets mistaken for a teenager, whose younger brother frequently got mistaken for a 25-year-old in his teens, I'm actually pretty okay with ages being a surprise! xD Quentin is a great example of how context changes the perception of age. He's in a position with a lot of responsibility, he carries himself as if he's older, he's always in weird lighting, and his sleep-deprived eyes contribute, too; but even something as simple as a haircut reveals that he's actually kinda baby-faced. Other characters in Runewriters would probably be just as surprised to learn that Quentin's 23 as you were!
RE: Lipreading
It's definitely POSSIBLE for someone who is profoundly deaf to understand a conversation through lipreading, and there are definitely individuals who've learned the skill, but it is more difficult than signing. I know something similar to what you’re describing happened here in the US, where schools pushed deaf kids to lipread and speak rather than sign, without realising that not everyone was able to do that. I consider Tareth’s ability to read lips to be a thing that she is very good at, that sort of gets taken for granted by people around her.
She doesn’t have perfect comprehension, though. We've seen her miss bits of what people are saying, but we can’t see how often she's figuring things out through context, and there are times she's not following at all and just not saying so. There are places where the lipreading font is very clear because she understands what’s being said, but a some of that clarity is for readers — having to puzzle out fuzzy writing would be a pretty frustrating device!
Ultimately I can’t show the full experience of WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE DEAF — I’m not deaf, so that’d be pretty presumptuous! — but I do try to be as true to Tareth and her experiences as I possibly can. ;u;
RE: Over-articulating
I 100% guarantee that her mom did this when she started learning to read lips. xD Probably Sev too, until she told him to QUIT THAT.
posted at 3:47pm on January 4th, 2016
I'M SO GODDAMN HAPPY AND EXCITED YESSSS RUNEWRITERS
posted at 1:48pm on January 4th, 2016
AHHHHHH I'M SO EXCITED YOU'RE EXCITED AHHHHHHH * u *
posted at 3:48pm on January 4th, 2016
I've been waiting a while for this! I'm so happy to see it's back. Keep up the good work!
posted at 2:21pm on January 4th, 2016
Ahhh thank you friend!! I hope it proves to be worth the wait! *u*
posted at 3:48pm on January 4th, 2016
Yay it's back,can't wait to see more.
posted at 4:45pm on January 4th, 2016
Ahhhhhh thank you! I CAN'T WAIT EITHER *u*
posted at 11:51am on January 6th, 2016
It's back! Grinning like an idiot here :D
posted at 5:23pm on January 4th, 2016
AHHHH thank you!! I HAVE BEEN GRINNING STUPIDLY ALL DAY, I'm so glad you guys are excited too!!!!
posted at 12:29pm on January 6th, 2016
Yaaaaaaay!! And what a comeback!
Added bonus - I finally have sufficient financial backing to perhaps justify buying ShazzStore things! ...Although with the way the Canadian dollar is doing right now versus the USD, perhaps I'll resist a little while longer. Don't suppose you're planning to attend any conventions north of the border? :-P
posted at 7:20pm on January 4th, 2016
THANKS! *u* And oh man, I'd really like to go to TCAF someday...... but I think I'm gonna take things a little easy convention-wise for my first year back in the groove, so I won't be lookin' into that until after I see how things go this year @u@
posted at 11:34am on January 6th, 2016
WELCOME BACK! I'M SO HAPPY! First-time commenter here, discovered Runewriters just a few months ago and thus did not have to wait too long for it to return (fortunately). Words can't adequately express just how much I love this comic...all the time and thought that you put into the world and characters shows on every page. At the risk of sounding cheesy, thank you for sharing it with us!
posted at 7:28pm on January 4th, 2016
AHHHH gosh thank you so much!! ;u; I'm so glad you've enjoyed it so far, and I'm so pumped you're excited for its return!! THERE'S MUCH MORE TO COME, I'M REAL PUMPED!!
posted at 11:50am on January 6th, 2016
YAY! Welcome back! I'm so happy to see this webcomic updating again!
posted at 8:29pm on January 4th, 2016
Ahhhhhhh thank you so much!! *u* I'M SO PSYCHED TO BE BACK
posted at 11:54am on January 6th, 2016
Hello! I am a newer reader who discovered this comic a few months ago, so did not have too long to wait for it to return, thank goodness! I am extremely excited you are back and updating - I have to find out what happens next.
If it weren't enough that I like sci-fi/fantasy, so already would like this comic, I also have a significant hearing loss and am considered "legally deaf" - so I really appreciate you including a deaf main character. I love how you have portrayed her, and some of the different techniques you use to show how sporadic her comprehension can be. As someone who relies pretty heavily on lipreading for comprehension - no, I can't read your lips when it's dark out and there are no lights; no, I can't read your lips when you turn your head away from me in the middle of a conversation; no, I can't understand what you are saying through the door. It's nice to see stuff like that spelled out as it's something that people with normal hearing can just take for granted, and so may not realize all the extra work situations like that can cause. It's just so refreshing to have a chance to see my life experiences portrayed for once. And though I don't know much sign, I also think you have done as good a job as you can transferring a language in motion into a static picture. It's great that Tareth is allowed to be deaf, with all the consequences that entails, and not have some magical power that "cancels out" her hearing loss so you as the writer and the other characters in the world don't have to really "deal with" her deafness. In short, great job, keep it up!
I did have a tangentially related question - I noticed you have the first two chapters of this comic available in your store. Does the second chapter include the updated character design for the blue-haired girl trapped behind the force field? (I think you said you had originally drawn her as a boy?)
I am not a very consistent or prolific commentator, so you may not hear much more from me, but rest assured I am following this comic to the bitter end, wherever it may lead!
posted at 8:52pm on January 4th, 2016
oh my gosh, this is unbelievably kind, thank you so much! ;A; I'm just, so glad that this story has meant so much to you and so happy to be a part of that, and so touched by your comment!! ; u ; I'VE BEEN YELLING ABOUT THIS COMMENT SINCE YOU POSTED IT BUT I WANTED TO REPLY WITH SOMETHING MORE COHERENT THAN "I"M GONNA FREAKIN CRY" seriously, thank you so so much for your kind words, this means SO MUCH to hear from you!
As to your question -- the blue-haired girl doesn't show up until Chapter 3, so nothing in Chapter 2 needed to be changed for the Ch2 book! Chapter 2 basically covers Sev & Tareth's trip to Rusanne with the little Order scene with Iavin & Esra at the end, and all the stuff that's happening in the capital now is gonna be in Chapter 3. Ch 3 books should be available VERY soon though (I'll definitely yell about that here when they are), and it will have the current/updated versions of these pages! :>
(And yeah, that character originally looked very different when the pages were first posted -- here's the original version if you're curious!)
posted at 12:27pm on January 6th, 2016
HUZZAH! I've been looking forward to the comic continuing for so long, and we start with one of those obnoxious Aberrant hunters getting thrown through something! This is everything I could have hoped for.
Welcome back!
posted at 10:51pm on January 4th, 2016
omg, CLEARLY THE PERFECT NOTE TO RETURN ON, I'm so glad xDDD
And thank you so much!! I CAN'T EXPRESS HOW AWESOME THIS WARM WELCOME HAS BEEN!! ; u ;
posted at 12:30pm on January 6th, 2016
I didn't want to have to give you ANOTHER comment to read, but I feel like you deserve some encouragement from everyone who loves you. :)
I've been reading this webcomic since 2013 (I was Wabbajack at the time) and seeing both you and your art grow has been a true pleasure. I came to not only love the comic, but to love its artist - you are awesome, kind, enthusiastic, selfless and perpetually young. You're the sort of person I wish I knew in real life. :)
Keep being awesome, Shazz! (You don't need to answer this comment.) ;)
posted at 1:22am on January 5th, 2016
Ahhhhhhhh gosh thank you so very much!! ; u ; This warm welcome has been really awesome and touching, YOU GUYS ARE ALL SO COOL TO STICK AROUND!!
(also omg no, more comments are always awesome!!)
posted at 12:32pm on January 6th, 2016
You're back! I'm glad ^_^
posted at 12:11pm on January 5th, 2016
Ahhh thank you!! ITS GOOD TO BE BACK!!! *u*
posted at 12:33pm on January 6th, 2016
Whoo! Who knew that waiting patiently would ever pay off?
Relevent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0Ezf9BbIYk
posted at 10:24pm on January 5th, 2016
omg xD
posted at 12:52pm on January 6th, 2016
Qjjjsjeisjsbsisjidjsis
Saw the update
Read the new page
Went back and re-read the entire series on my lunch breaks over the past three days
Re-read the new page
SO HYPED for the rest of the series, I can't believe it's off hiatus! :D
posted at 8:23pm on January 7th, 2016
YES!!! SO excited to see new updates, and how the story is going to progress, trying to get other people to start reading it too. XD
posted at 11:52pm on January 7th, 2016
I'm delighted to see you back, too. I hope your family is doing better and that things are stable. <3
posted at 12:16pm on January 9th, 2016
AHHH! I came back from camp and new Runewriters! *bounces with glee*
posted at 4:41am on January 11th, 2016
Worried about Sev. Want to know more. Out of time. Has to wait until tomorrow.
Dangit.
posted at 7:58pm on September 15th, 2017
Comment by Kiri
IT'S BACK!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I guess now is as good a time as any for Xira to blow his cover. Jonan is probably "I told you so"ing in his head.
Actually, maybe Jonan will take this opportunity to leave his disastrous party and seek help on his own??????????????
I'M SO EXCITED RW IS BACK!!!!
posted at 12:08am on January 4th, 2016