Triple update!

>>149387752 (OP)
You tell her, Emil.

>>149387771
Emil must never look too cool.

>>149387752 (OP)
Oh, it's pronounced as "Tela". Well now I feel silly.
>>149387771
>>149387787
Best wishes for the happy couple!
>those tongues
LOL

and so ends emne's horrible no good very bad day

Website comment:
>Three pages today, keep clicking forward. Good-bye, officers, good luck. Thank you for your service.

>That’s our pages for the week, I’ll see you back here next Monday!

>Have you checked out the Unsounded Kickstarter campaign page [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ironspike/summer-2025-mystery-project]? Consider giving it a follow! The campaign will be launching in less than a month!

>-Ashley
Patreon comment:
>Three pages today. Read 'em first.

>Up until the very last moment, I wasn't sure if it was proper for them to end up together or not. It felt to me like the ultimate gesture for Emil was to not only put aside his duties for fatherhood, but this potential relationship too; to give up everything in the city and return for good to his hometown, all for Chea's benefit.

>Elka's argument against this really won me over too though. It seems the best course of action is to safeguard your kids while also staying active in and doing your best to maintain the society they're going to have to live in one day. Giving that latter up is just as bad as shirking the former, maybe.

>And if Emil is going to come back to duty in a year, maybe Elka will be waiting there to welcome him. Maybe, maybe not!

>Two more scenes left. I think we'll be going closer to 40 than 30, are you surprised? :)

>Don't forget to follow the Kickstarter if you haven't yet! - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ironspike/summer-2025-mystery-project

>>149387752 (OP)
Rizz Master Duane does it again

>>149387752 (OP)
>>149387771
The old lady is a better wingman than Duane could ever be.

fuckin thank god, finally

>>149388054
I imagine if he were around he would have just shoved him at her by now, or the opposite. Probably the opposite given Toma's never shied away from his feelings, it was always surprising how little confidence Elka had in herself in that way given how absolutely fucking fearless she was otherwise

>>149388054
Nah man it was the line that did it.

Tela smuggling balloons wherever she goes

>>149388209
On the contrary I don't think it was surprising at all. Elka had been always aware of how she superficially poor a prospect she is compared to someone like the beautiful, wealthy, and noble Emne (I find Elka to be a real qt3.14 btw). With the status Emil has now he could (and others would naturally steer him towards) another hot socialite like Emne. We can all see in meta how much Emil wants her, but Elka must have convinced herself it was all the pressure of the battlefield and Emil's interest in her would wane once he entered peacetime.

>>149387771
>ald killing as a positive
that's kinda racist ain't it

>>149387962
>maybe Elka will be waiting there to welcome him. Maybe, maybe not!
>maybe not!
Cope don't you dare fucking Paul my boy Sava

>>149387752 (OP)
>>149387771
Haha, this is so cute. Emil is too smooth whether he's plagiarizing a corpse or using his own sincerity.

>>149388419
I'm actually not sure if we've seen them kill any alds during their time in the comic now that I think about it.
They seem to be better Crescian killers based on what we got to see

>>149387752 (OP)
More people need an old bint walking by to tell them they're too stuck in their own head.

>>149387752 (OP)
>>149387771
>>149387787
HELL YEAH. Love the clumsy yet sincere effort by Emil with that assist from Duane. Also nice to see seagulls instead of ominous crows. Onward to new shores.

After all the speculation; there's always a self-insert, Sette is Cope's self-insert, no, Tittybird is Cope's self-insert, no, Ruffles is Cope's self-insert... the truth is finally revealed.

>>149388885
She did bring down a giant Aldish vliegeng!

>>149388909
When I get that age, I wanna be the no-fucks-given Granny who says that shit in passing.

>>149388956
Serious Cope energy jumping off that panel. I heard it in the same voice I hear when I read her tumblr ask answers.

>>149387787
>Elka going right for the amazon

>>149389063
based, we should all be so lucky as Emil

what's with all the lovers?

Has Ashley ever posted smut of these two?

Emil
Chea
Tela
Karl
Emne
Jivi
Elan
Rahm
Iori
Kima Bell
I just realized Crescians except royals have four letter names. Interesting.

>>149389498
>Crescians have four letter names
It is known.

>>149388435
The truth is this is the last we'll see of them. In that way, at least, anons from the last few threads have their wish: the horrors of this story shall no longer molest them. Their future is entirely in our heads now, in the story of the way you think it will be. Or ought to.

>>149388956
You'll know you've seen her self insert when someone says that marriage is a punishment for thievery in some places. Oh god was that a joke about Sette fate?

>>149389498
homestuck

>>149389498
>>149389538
It hasn't come up in comic, but there's a historic reason for it. Born out of a plague (hmm, hadn't thought much about that one before) and partnered with a belief that four was a lucky number (number of the twin gods, after all). The idea is four letter names are lucky and would protect children from illness. That sort of thing.

The Queens, as part of the general "burden of the powerful" that Cresce likes to project, very publicly do not follow this tradition, as they're not meant to need such things (or something like that). So the current Sonorie's given name is the mouthful "Maharaishala." She has been called Maha for short, though.

that's cute.

tomboy SEX

>>149389443
You know what you have to do

>>149387787
>PLAP PLAP PLAP GET ME PREGNANT GET ME PREGNANT

>>149389633
Good to know, Cope

>>149388956
This is my new favourite character. I can't wait for her showdown with Lemuel.

>>149387962
>Plan one thing
>get convinced to change your mind by the voices in your head
The schizophrenia is taking over Ashley

>>149388956
It's actually Murkoph.

>Incidentally, they both know exactly where Duane is and neither has any intention of doing a dang thing about it because there is no reasonable argument to make that he should be anywhere else.
uhhhh dwaynebros?

>>149387752 (OP)
>we can't!
>>149387771
>we can?
>>149387787
>WANNA MAKE A BABY NOW
God I love thirsty tomboys.

>>149390915
Arguing with your characters is a common writerly affliction.

>>149388312
That would be pretty normal and expected, too. The suspension bridge effect is real. And soldiers on deployment will fuck anything up to and including a hole in the ground.

>>149388209
Duane would fully expect Emil to do the courting. He's Aldish, remember. Never mind that his wife courted him, of course.

>>149387996
>Leysa
>Sarthos
>Tiddybird
>Minnow in that one Whumptober post
Best rizz in centuries.

>>149388419
I mean they're at war with Alderode, but yeah. War fucks good people up.

>>149390915
"Characters write themselves" is a common author trope. What is writing dialog if not being of multiple minds?

>>149390915
>>149391084
>>149391409
I don't know how many times I've been GMing and an NPC or event has run off entirely in its own direction without even needing a player's input to mess things up.

>>149389606
>Their future is entirely in our heads now, in the story of the way you think it will be. Or ought to.
Many siblings for Chea.

>>149391409
I feel like Duane only genuinely rizzed Sessine once, and that was when he wanted to take her ice skating.

>>149390546
If that was Cope the details would be correct. It was a food shortage long ago. People were starving. And the queen at the time made the tough and arbitrary decision that food would go to those with four letter names. I forget if it was only one of her children had a four letter name, or none. But she suffered along her people and lost those close to her.

Because of this, Crescians superstitiously believe that four letter names are lucky. And because of this, Crescian royals very specifically do not give themselves four letter names. Which makes me wonder, since the queen is chosen from a ward of the nobles, if people are essentially disqualifying themselves from the upper echelons of the ruling class by naming themselves things like Emne, Chea, and so on. isn't that basically saying you don't believe your child is fit to rule?

>>149390915
Sounds to me like she didn't actually plan it and this was one of those things she left open until the end to decide.
>>149390923
Lady I is most believable. She likes sexy torture, not wanton. Plus she pulls all the strings and knows how things will turn out.
>>149391049
This makes me pretty sad. I suppose if Duane were alive and they weren't, and they were all in Alderode after having saved people there, he would do the same and have faith in the Aldish government to handle things appropriately. But it's still disappointing.
>>149391350
I also think he wouldn't find it proper as a man to advise Elka on her relationship prospects, surely that should only come from her family, a chaperone, or a close female confidant. As a man he could only hope to advise Emil.

>>149391628
I don't think it's that, that deep. Besides, the Toma's aren't really in line for the throne- the ruling family is the Sonories, and you can become one through adoption. Maha was adopted, I think.

>>149391745
>the Toma's aren't really in line for the throne
They were until Emne fucked it up. They were the third highest family. Now when they're reevaluated thanks to unhappy nobles petitioning the church it's likely that won't be true anymore.
>the ruling family is the Sonories, and you can become one through adoption. Maha was adopted, I think
Exactly. The ruling class adopts members of the nobility to raise as potential heirs. Then the nobility, head of the military, head of the church, and current ruling queen come to a consensus on which ward would be best for the job.

I suspect the initial step of being adopted and groomed as an heir would be less likely if you don't bother to name your child something with more letters.

>teases an execution of a major character
>proceeds to spend the next three weeks on smooth-brained ship fodder
>while begging for money
Bold strategy, Cotton

>>149391924
You're so gay you must be the resolution fag.

>>149391745
>the Toma's aren't really in line for the throne-
>the ruling family is the Sonories, and you can become one through adoption
I know a good way Sonorie can fuck up Chea's and Emil's futures lol.

>>149387771
>the smile of the old lady in the first panel

>>149391714
Have you seen her e-mail address though?

>>149391924
>teases an execution of a major character
Hmm.

>>149392633
Publicly executing Duanes body while attaching the pymeric to someone else would be wild.
He needs his extra port to work, but as I understand it there shouldn't be any problem with removing that vertebra and making the entire rest of his body an extended prosthetic.
Maybe keeping his heart attached too, Robocop remake style

GAAAAAAAAYYYY

As a rom-com enthusiast, I appreciate this stupid, cartoony, lovey-dovey sendoff. Thanks, Ash.

>>149391714
>I suppose if Duane were alive and they weren't, and they were all in Alderode after having saved people there, he would do the same and have faith in the Aldish government to handle things appropriately.
Old Duane would have. Duane as he is now? I'm not so sure any more.

>>149392892
For what purpose would Cresce give Duane an improved new body? He's not going to work for them. I'm sure Nora will soon have to concede that if he IS just a plot, he's not one she can figure out the workings of.

>>149392892
>while attaching the pymeric to someone else
Roger
Foi
Hellick

>>149393892
Of course. But if he were still alive then the Duane he is now wouldn't exist. He would never have met Sette, Siya, or Sara. And never have learned to be more than who he was then.

I think he would have a very hard time choosing if the roles were reversed as the man he is now. But ultimately, if they had just saved Alderode, I think he might let them get away. Or perhaps grant them conflagration that they might hopefully be at peace.

>>149394032
Yeah, I tend to think Duane would be on the side of 'kill them himself, or let them escape through feigned incompetence.' He knows full well what awaits traitors or enemies of the state in the hands of his government.

So it stings to know Duane (and along with him, probably Sette) was just left to his captors. Well, it wasn't like escape was an option for him.

Bastion killed Duane, robbed him of his life, his wife, his children, and right now he's probably helping cresce do whatever it wants to to him. Boo can't even help him now they're back in the real world.

JUSTICE FOR DUANE.

>>149394032
>>149394137
An actual role reversal would mean that Elka and Toma HELPED Alderode fend off an attack from a giant silver monster and it's minions and assorted khert shenanigans.

Old Duane 100% would not have killed them or helped arrest them and left them in prison. Even if he couldn't get them out he'd be there reading them poetry

>>149389498
Elon Musk
Karl Marx

>>149394440
Trust in mecha Dwayne. Maybe order a mecha Dwayne commission to keep the dream alive.

>>149392633
There's no good reason I can think of to make this big show of executing Duane. The public has no idea who he is, the guy was responsible for none of what was happening, and you probably can't even tell he's Aldish if the glamour's off. Honestly, I can't even think of a reason to re-kill him at all, no doubt he's far more valuable alive and poked at with various scientific sticks by Crescian engineers.

>>149392633
Wherever he is I can't really fault them. There's been too much Weird Bullshit going on and Toma's honestly got the right idea of getting Chea away from it as fast as fucking possible and Elka just keeping her fucking head down. Hell I imagine Duane would agree

>>149394564
All those poor whores are dead now. They would have been decent stock for the Alds.

>>149393929
>For what purpose would Cresce give Duane an improved new body
bold of you to assume improved
It would just be to hide Duane from whomever saw the Aldish Corpse Construct kicking ass against the silver.
Duane waking up in a Creasean body would be pure existential horror

>>149395261
Rainbow Shave Ice lady got out, last we saw

>>149395619
>It would just be to hide Duane from whomever saw the Aldish Corpse Construct kicking ass against the silver.
Nobody would know it was a construct unless let in on it. If you saw some hobo beating off terrorists in a giant warzone full of soldiers spouting Islamic poetry, would you assume "crazy guy" or "a golem they dug out of Prague?"

>>149394137
Yeah. It'll be interesting to see how he gets out. Someone suggested that Duane will play the role that Toma refused. I find it doubtful he betrays Alderode though even now.
>>149394564
100% he wouldn't kill them or have them arrested. He would trust in the system to do what's right by them and put in a good word for them. Which would mean they would be killed or arrested and reverse engineered. A full role reversal with them undead, having just saved Alderode. I think he might offer to kill them regardless to put them at peace. As an act of thanks and mercy. Particularly if it's our new Duane, who has experienced undeath.

>>149389618
Based cope

>>149396383
Duane is absolutely cutting a deal with the Queen. He knows something fucked up is going on with Alderode and I think at this point he wants what's best for the people, not necessarily the government. Plus stopping the Silver is good for everyone.

>>149391409
Could I get a link to that Whumptober post, please?

>>149397028
It wasn't whump, it's on patreon

>>149396206
Wasn't she stabbed by Starfish right before he went after Sette

>>149398103
She unironically got better. Word of Cope she escaped Hetr's purge, too.

>>149394440
Bastion is definitely not helping Cresce - especially not a second-rate engineer like Nora - fuck with HIS immortal man.

>>149398194
lol does it look like Bastion is in charge? if he wants his immortal man back in workable condition, under control, and in Alderode he will have to work with Nora

>>149398103
She had a pretty good doctor

>>149394564
God, this comic is so funny.

Some Emil and Pantoffel sketches. https://bsky.app/profile/unsounded.bsky.social/post/3ltwwzgt6us2j

>>149394026
The biggest problem I see with an Ald host is, if it's not a Soud, every single Ald will know there's fuckery afoot on first contact, and we know the story is headed back to Alderode. That seems too much of a handicap.

Taking bets, what the over under for nora and that bitch queen installing some MLRS pymryic underneath Ethelmik