. Falst spots the end of one of the walkways, maybe twenty feet below him. He adjusts the sling with Demonheart Dainix, then leaps off the rim of the crater, falling towards the glass.
. “So what have you come to take from me?” Rakhn asks.
. “I’m not–” Kendal starts.
. “Petitioers come to plea for warmth or peace or shelter–” Rakhn says, standing up. “Or to pay their boon — prices in song and story, praying that I have not changed my mind.” He looms over Kendal, twice as tall as the demigod, obsidian greatsword propped on one shoulder. “I am sought only out of desperation. So what is it you think I can give you?”
. “I was hoping for a conversation,” Kendal says, an encouraging smile on his face.
. The fire of Rakhn’s hair covers his right eye for a moment, flashing golden. “…Hm.”
I was thinking Kendal can just talk about the Collector and actually try to enlist Rakhn’s help, and warn him. That’s a conversation that can be unproblematically sincere, and useful, and if it goes nowhere, well, Rakhn’s still distracted.
I think it’s to convey that he’s raising a single brow. I think he’s intrigued by Kendall’s answer. Perhaps not entirely convinced, but intrigued nonetheless.
WOAH
I’m on mobile and I saw the alt text
This might not work for everyone, I am on an Apple iPad Pro 5th generation. I clicked and held on the comic, and pressed ‘Show text’. That took me to a fullscreen on the comic, and when I tapped my screen a bar showed up at the top with the alt text on it. Today’s was ‘Have you heard about this thing called the power of friendship’. I still don’t know how to find the source, though
Conversely, I am also an android device, but have no show text button. When I hold down on the image it tries to tell me the message in the top bar, but the message it took long on and truncates. That said, this text is short enough that turned to landscape mode it is readable. Different phones. Different settings. Most alt text is too long for the landscape trick. I am very grateful to those whose transcribe the screen punchlines.
For Android (or at least for me) I press and hold the page, and a thing pops up that says like copy image and share and stuff, and at the very top is a small version on the page, and next to it is a bunch of text. Click on that and it expands and shows the alt-text. Bit of a lengthy explanation, but yeah lol.
Rakhn: Please try to pick a fight
Kendal: Look, I have had a VERY taxing day and I *really* don’t want to fight you right now. We’ve already discussed the weather, so how about another icebreaker that’s not lava?
I like how blatantly skeptical Rakhn is. In fairness, I would be too. xD I think he can tell something’s up…
The caldera is gorgeous, and I assume the glass greenhouses belong to the local Ignans. I’ll be curious to see them! I’m sure they’re gonna complicate this heist…
Oh *absolutely* they’re gonna complicate it! I’m pretty curious to see them, myself. Based on the last page I’m guessing there’s some sort of small shrine in the center of the caldera around Rakhn’s heart, which would probably hold at least one Ignan of religious importance? Hopefully Falst can get past any complications he comes across!
It’d actually be really cool to see Falst get a flawless win, in and out and nobody the wiser, I think it’d be good for him emotionally, and it’d probably smooth things over a bit between him and the rest of the Squad. Plus we’d get to see Kendal using his brain and not his body or sword, a nice Superman moment for him!
I doubt he knows already. Gleicann told us a long long time ago that he couldn’t distinguish individual mortals within his forest. I’d bet the same applies to Rakhn, though it might be different for a people-god like Caliban or city-god like Vash.
Even Caliban and Vash didn’t really have the ability to tell individual people apart as far as we know.
Caliban singled the one person that was the incarnation of Fire out and Vash IIRC only talked to the petitioner after he presented himself to Vash.
The real question is if Falst would be considered unique/strange enough to warrant notice. Or perhaps our incarnation of Fire might attract unwanted attention. The latter won’t happen until later though, is my bet.
We know at least Zuurith couldn’t, and probably had to be informed by his emissary. I’d assume the same goes for Vash, and since Caliban is something like a city god for a people without a city, I’d assume it’s the same for them as well, especially given that at first they didn’t really know about Falst.
Rakhan’s expression in the last panel: “dude you for real? Don’t you hear the boss battle theme? See the multilayer healthbar? The tantalising arena mechanics that don’t pop up anywhere else??? D-doesn’t it get your blood pumping? No? Just wanna talk? …amma smack you around a bit now but my heart’s not gonna be in it…”
There once was a fiery upstart
Who was suspicious, wary, and smart.
But Kendal takes him on
With admirable aplomb–
He’s been blindsided with sincerity of heart.
Call me crazy, but I suspect the healthbar might be fading out at this moment. That, or it’s still filling up a la TOTK final boss phase 2. Such begins an increasingly parallelised miniarc. Reminder on the number of individual stories going on right now:
Falst and Dainix (currently busy being a rock) are on the caldera mission,
Kendal is talking to Rakhn,
Tess and Erin are experiencing family bonding and/or Not Getting Murdered By The Void Dragon,
and Alinua’s whereabouts remain unknown, with the jury tending towards Doing Something With The Sea Monster.
This is a *four-way* party split, which, from recollection, hasn’t been done since Alinua decided to rip a mountain open.
not going to lie, 100% hoping that Kendal and Rakhn just end up chatting pleasantly and (metaphorically) chilling, the novelty of someone genuinely being interested being enough for Rakhn to “let” the heist slip by in the background because no one seems to have the good manners to just be reasonable with him from the get go.
The mountain he jumped off in Zuurith was WAY higher off the ground. It looks like he’s aiming for the glass-ish walkway, not the lava, and based on his head in panel 1 it looks maybe 10-15 Falsts beneath him. I think he can survive that, maybe with some minor fracturing/bruising
This is my first comment ever and all I’m here to say is that Falst little expression in panel 3 is giving me heart palpitations. Just like ‘Dainax dont be mad about this plan. Please
One does wonder what would happen if they were honest with him and just *asked* to, like, dump their “rock” next to his fireseed for a bit. If he’s bored, then fighting a monster of primal fire for a minute might help?
One daring jump has the Ferin on his way
Whereas Kendal asks to simply discuss today
Rakhn doesn’t seem entirely too convinced, though.
For mobile readers.
Alt-text: have you heard about this thing called the power of friendship
Image source: hm
. Falst spots the end of one of the walkways, maybe twenty feet below him. He adjusts the sling with Demonheart Dainix, then leaps off the rim of the crater, falling towards the glass.
. “So what have you come to take from me?” Rakhn asks.
. “I’m not–” Kendal starts.
. “Petitioers come to plea for warmth or peace or shelter–” Rakhn says, standing up. “Or to pay their boon — prices in song and story, praying that I have not changed my mind.” He looms over Kendal, twice as tall as the demigod, obsidian greatsword propped on one shoulder. “I am sought only out of desperation. So what is it you think I can give you?”
. “I was hoping for a conversation,” Kendal says, an encouraging smile on his face.
. The fire of Rakhn’s hair covers his right eye for a moment, flashing golden. “…Hm.”
Bluesky Text: maybe a nice little tea party
Tumblr text (bc it’s not up yet): this is the greatest plaaaaan
No lie detected
i mean…kendal isnt lying he was hoping to talk to rakhn(to distract him but still)
falst and caliban on the other hand XD
I was thinking Kendal can just talk about the Collector and actually try to enlist Rakhn’s help, and warn him. That’s a conversation that can be unproblematically sincere, and useful, and if it goes nowhere, well, Rakhn’s still distracted.
I wonder what’s up with the fire eye in the last panel? Lie detector or smth?
mayhaps he has a way to detect that a random stranger is jumping into his volcano at this very moment
It could just be the fire covering his eye, but yes it could also be him sensing Falst Shenanigans
I think it’s to convey that he’s raising a single brow. I think he’s intrigued by Kendall’s answer. Perhaps not entirely convinced, but intrigued nonetheless.
It looks ultra Dainix-coded, but that makes no sense…
Walkways look fragile
Supports rise from the lava
Hostile place for home
Well, it’s a bit more subtle than directly asking for Rakhn’s attention.
WOAH
I’m on mobile and I saw the alt text
This might not work for everyone, I am on an Apple iPad Pro 5th generation. I clicked and held on the comic, and pressed ‘Show text’. That took me to a fullscreen on the comic, and when I tapped my screen a bar showed up at the top with the alt text on it. Today’s was ‘Have you heard about this thing called the power of friendship’. I still don’t know how to find the source, though
Conversely, I am also an android device, but have no show text button. When I hold down on the image it tries to tell me the message in the top bar, but the message it took long on and truncates. That said, this text is short enough that turned to landscape mode it is readable. Different phones. Different settings. Most alt text is too long for the landscape trick. I am very grateful to those whose transcribe the screen punchlines.
I see it too on iPhone! That’s really cool.
Still not happening on Android
For Android (or at least for me) I press and hold the page, and a thing pops up that says like copy image and share and stuff, and at the very top is a small version on the page, and next to it is a bunch of text. Click on that and it expands and shows the alt-text. Bit of a lengthy explanation, but yeah lol.
Rakhn: Please try to pick a fight
Kendal: Look, I have had a VERY taxing day and I *really* don’t want to fight you right now. We’ve already discussed the weather, so how about another icebreaker that’s not lava?
What’s your favorite kind of tree?
Charcoal.
“I was hoping for a conversation…” “Hm” “about your car’s extended warra- *gunshots*”
I like how blatantly skeptical Rakhn is. In fairness, I would be too. xD I think he can tell something’s up…
The caldera is gorgeous, and I assume the glass greenhouses belong to the local Ignans. I’ll be curious to see them! I’m sure they’re gonna complicate this heist…
Oh *absolutely* they’re gonna complicate it! I’m pretty curious to see them, myself. Based on the last page I’m guessing there’s some sort of small shrine in the center of the caldera around Rakhn’s heart, which would probably hold at least one Ignan of religious importance? Hopefully Falst can get past any complications he comes across!
It’d actually be really cool to see Falst get a flawless win, in and out and nobody the wiser, I think it’d be good for him emotionally, and it’d probably smooth things over a bit between him and the rest of the Squad. Plus we’d get to see Kendal using his brain and not his body or sword, a nice Superman moment for him!
Considering how closely the gods have been shown to be tied to their domains and those within them, he definitely knows.
I doubt he knows already. Gleicann told us a long long time ago that he couldn’t distinguish individual mortals within his forest. I’d bet the same applies to Rakhn, though it might be different for a people-god like Caliban or city-god like Vash.
Even Caliban and Vash didn’t really have the ability to tell individual people apart as far as we know.
Caliban singled the one person that was the incarnation of Fire out and Vash IIRC only talked to the petitioner after he presented himself to Vash.
The real question is if Falst would be considered unique/strange enough to warrant notice. Or perhaps our incarnation of Fire might attract unwanted attention. The latter won’t happen until later though, is my bet.
Kendal “Care for a spot of tea?”
Rakhn “I was hoping for more violence actually. That’s how this usually goes.”
I’m reading Kendal’s voice there in a British accent and I think that was intentional but either way I love it
We know at least Zuurith couldn’t, and probably had to be informed by his emissary. I’d assume the same goes for Vash, and since Caliban is something like a city god for a people without a city, I’d assume it’s the same for them as well, especially given that at first they didn’t really know about Falst.
My reading-comprehension-ass “why would iguanas need a greenhouse?”
Mr Nice guy prevails again!
Rakhan’s expression in the last panel: “dude you for real? Don’t you hear the boss battle theme? See the multilayer healthbar? The tantalising arena mechanics that don’t pop up anywhere else??? D-doesn’t it get your blood pumping? No? Just wanna talk? …amma smack you around a bit now but my heart’s not gonna be in it…”
Ooh! This is so cool! I love Kendal’s face in panel 7! Rakhn REALLY wants kendal to pick a fight. He know’s something is wrong.
Oh no, Rakhn’s activating his Sans Undertale powers!
thank you so much for leaving this comment now i will never be able to unsee this
Bro, let’s just talk bro. You don’t need that fiery monocle bro. Bro? Bro, why do I hear boss music bro?
Volcano heist picking up!!
“…A long conversation where I have your full attention while NOTHING OF IMPORTANCE happens elsewhere.”
There once was a fiery upstart
Who was suspicious, wary, and smart.
But Kendal takes him on
With admirable aplomb–
He’s been blindsided with sincerity of heart.
“My hair is floof, yours fwoosh…We’re not so different, you and I…”
“Okay now I KNOW you’re up to villainy.”
“DANG it!”
Uh oh. I just realized that Kendal will have to lie now. Has he EVER lied???
He might not have to lie, just miss a few things. That is by definition, not lying.
Have you heard of “lying by omission”? because that is, unfortunately, lying, and, unfortunately, what you describe
Oops, thanks
Call me crazy, but I suspect the healthbar might be fading out at this moment. That, or it’s still filling up a la TOTK final boss phase 2. Such begins an increasingly parallelised miniarc. Reminder on the number of individual stories going on right now:
Falst and Dainix (currently busy being a rock) are on the caldera mission,
Kendal is talking to Rakhn,
Tess and Erin are experiencing family bonding and/or Not Getting Murdered By The Void Dragon,
and Alinua’s whereabouts remain unknown, with the jury tending towards Doing Something With The Sea Monster.
This is a *four-way* party split, which, from recollection, hasn’t been done since Alinua decided to rip a mountain open.
Talking things out, oh no
not going to lie, 100% hoping that Kendal and Rakhn just end up chatting pleasantly and (metaphorically) chilling, the novelty of someone genuinely being interested being enough for Rakhn to “let” the heist slip by in the background because no one seems to have the good manners to just be reasonable with him from the get go.
I mean it’s a long shot but It’d be delightful.
TL;DR: Take that leap of faith! Both for the cat and the volcano, come on buddy. You know you want to have a nice chat.
Kendal looks so sweet in panel 7. I love this man.
Who’s here for their first time today?
Um, Falst? You gonna try to tank that landing? Last time it only worked out cause you had Alinua…
The mountain he jumped off in Zuurith was WAY higher off the ground. It looks like he’s aiming for the glass-ish walkway, not the lava, and based on his head in panel 1 it looks maybe 10-15 Falsts beneath him. I think he can survive that, maybe with some minor fracturing/bruising
This is my first comment ever and all I’m here to say is that Falst little expression in panel 3 is giving me heart palpitations. Just like ‘Dainax dont be mad about this plan. Please
Ah yes Conversation. With a Fire deity holding a big ass sword.
The only conversation that’s gonna happen is violence.
big Beleyg energy rn (is this too obscure of a reference?)
no <3
Rhakahn looks annoyed and interested. Does Kendal have a special talent for befuddling heads of state?
One does wonder what would happen if they were honest with him and just *asked* to, like, dump their “rock” next to his fireseed for a bit. If he’s bored, then fighting a monster of primal fire for a minute might help?
Is Rakhn’s eye being engulfed by his fire hair his version of a raised eyebrow?
“Technically speaking *I* haven’t come to take anything from you
Panel 6 appreciation comment