This hasn’t been sitting right with me for a while now.
It’s a Hyena-god. It’d follow Hynea-mythology rules, not general god-related standards. The Hyenas don’t care about the heart. They’re all about the Liver. Yes, I know, the cold Servants are keeping the heart beating – but the Liver’s there, too.
… This is gonna come up, isn’t it. They’ll destroy the heart – and then the demon, with its pristine, undestroyed liver, will break free and go wild.
He he…
Nothing spoils the confidence in a mission involving things you don’t understand like the expert using the word “theoretically” after a convincing explanation
I’ve noted that your style of drawing her drastically changed.
I liked the first version more, it was more detailed and… realistic? Current one is more cartoonish, but old one seemed more… cute?
Anyway I follow your comic with passion! Thank you very much :D.
“The approach will not be easy. You are required to maneuver straight down this trench and skim the surface to this point. The target area is only two meters wide. It’s a small thermal exhaust port, right below the main port. The shaft leads directly to the reactor system. A precise hit will start a chain reaction which should destroy the station.”
According to the Hyenas, the heart might animate the god, but the liver is where the real person resides. Perhaps He-Is can be separated from his madness and his liver brought home. I’m sure Digger can rig up a dump truck.
I thought of a new possibility for Shadowchild a few days back. I don’t think anyone has considered her as the dead child of She-Is-Fiercer.
@Hawk re He-is’s liver… When Murai and Digger were down in the caves being grossed out by the whole heart-on-a-pulley thing, Murai says “Actually, I believe the liver is still intact, over there.” (Responding to Digger’s question as to the location of the rest of the giblets).
Sorry Rylen, I suggested something on those lines a while back: Shadowchild is the ghost of It-Might-Have-Been, the unborn child-god of He-Is and She-Is.
Today’s thought: or perhaps, ghost of It-Could-Be….
…What if Shadowchild IS Sweetgrass Voice? Or at least a piece of it?
The thing was supposed to be this great tempter, and sound so innocent, and get in good with whoever it was twisting, yes? Since He-Is didn’t die as he had proposed, maybe a piece of his demon could escape. Helix did say those shackles were probably rotten by now.
Helix makes the engineer in me happy. He truly understands the difference between theory and practice: “The difference between theory and practice is that, in theory, there is no difference, but in practice, there is.”
The commentary about hyena gods and hearts vs livers is interesting — and definitely a source of uncertainly here. Just to be sure they need to destroy both — not a trivial task with the enormous size of the organs involved here — never mind the tireless minions trying to stop you. However, since it appears Sweetgrass Voice needs the heart going, one wonders if the liver *does* contain the essence of He-Is — the only organs that were seen were the heart and the liver. SGV cannot destroy He-Is without destroying himself – but with the liver separated from the heart, SGV may have gained a lot more control.
Didn’t Helix just tell us that He-Is appeared as a bird?
A possibly demonic shadow thingy springing up from a dead bird vs. a hyena god who took the shape of a bird and who happens to be possessed by a demon…
Does anyone else think that Shadowchild might be related to, an aspect of or possibly even a disguise of SGV?
To tiggertoo, continuing this thought: Rather than destroying it… if Sweetgrass Voice dies with the heart, then He-Is will be a dead Eaten One of the tribe. I’m assuming that the term ‘Eaten’ means that, like most culturally ‘unclean’ sorts, they probably don’t get the usual funeral rites upon death if they’re outcast (their name was already eaten, after all.) But we’re talking about a god here– if the tribe decided that He-Is should be absorbed back into the tribe, maybe they’d need to eat He-Is’s liver? Group activity, one reeeeeeally big feast? **imagines a horrified Digger’s eyes bugging out: “Oh hell no not AGAIN.”**
At last, after several hours of reading, I am finally caught up!
I don’t see any message boards, so I’ll just say this here- thank you so much for making this wonderful comic available for free viewing! This is one of the most gripping and fascinating stories I have ever read, and the art is a real treat too. Keep up the good work.
was just enjoying a trip through the archive when this thought occured to me, apologies if its already been mentioned, shadowchild was born of a dead bird, He-Is formed out of a birds body any thoughts ?
Well, I remember the legend said that SweetGrass voice entered in the liver of He-is “the badness find hole in liver” or something like that… what if they destroy the heart and that kills He-is, but not Sweetgrass voice?
Ed only said that feelings came from the liver, not that it was the whole life and essence of a person. And in any case, it’s still the heart keeping the dying god’s blood pumping for the Cold Servants to feed upon — regardless of whether he’d be getting very far without his liver. 😉
Rueyeet has a point. Also, keeping the heart going sounds like a more proper way to keep someone on (divine symboldriven) life support, than doing it with the liver. A lack of pulse is generally more noticeable than one of detoxication.
Oh dear, this sounds like it’s going to get messy
I love the last panel.
*Digger peers up* Oh, so Hegi really couldn’t manifest under those conditions…
Wait a minute.
This hasn’t been sitting right with me for a while now.
It’s a Hyena-god. It’d follow Hynea-mythology rules, not general god-related standards. The Hyenas don’t care about the heart. They’re all about the Liver. Yes, I know, the cold Servants are keeping the heart beating – but the Liver’s there, too.
… This is gonna come up, isn’t it. They’ll destroy the heart – and then the demon, with its pristine, undestroyed liver, will break free and go wild.
He he…
Nothing spoils the confidence in a mission involving things you don’t understand like the expert using the word “theoretically” after a convincing explanation
Nope, she definitely has to kill the liver.
I’ve noted that your style of drawing her drastically changed.
I liked the first version more, it was more detailed and… realistic? Current one is more cartoonish, but old one seemed more… cute?
Anyway I follow your comic with passion! Thank you very much :D.
Gotta love the contrast between Hegi’s almost prophetic surety and Helix’s “Well, theoretically anyway.”
If you want the facts – all the facts as bluntly as possible – wombats are at your service.
What… not the liver?
heehee, good one Niall!
I think SGV ate the liver already. Actually…that raises a question, what DID happen to all the other bits and parts of He-Is? Ewwwwww…..
“The approach will not be easy. You are required to maneuver straight down this trench and skim the surface to this point. The target area is only two meters wide. It’s a small thermal exhaust port, right below the main port. The shaft leads directly to the reactor system. A precise hit will start a chain reaction which should destroy the station.”
According to the Hyenas, the heart might animate the god, but the liver is where the real person resides. Perhaps He-Is can be separated from his madness and his liver brought home. I’m sure Digger can rig up a dump truck.
I thought of a new possibility for Shadowchild a few days back. I don’t think anyone has considered her as the dead child of She-Is-Fiercer.
Murai: “Well, that seems straightforward, although lamentable. What could possibly go wrong?”
Digger and Helix in unison: “Do you want a list!?”
Ooooo, rylen, I love that theory!
@Hawk re He-is’s liver… When Murai and Digger were down in the caves being grossed out by the whole heart-on-a-pulley thing, Murai says “Actually, I believe the liver is still intact, over there.” (Responding to Digger’s question as to the location of the rest of the giblets).
And what if you try to purify the heart?
“We find death to be a great purifier…”
Sorry Rylen, I suggested something on those lines a while back: Shadowchild is the ghost of It-Might-Have-Been, the unborn child-god of He-Is and She-Is.
Today’s thought: or perhaps, ghost of It-Could-Be….
…What if Shadowchild IS Sweetgrass Voice? Or at least a piece of it?
The thing was supposed to be this great tempter, and sound so innocent, and get in good with whoever it was twisting, yes? Since He-Is didn’t die as he had proposed, maybe a piece of his demon could escape. Helix did say those shackles were probably rotten by now.
@ Vera
Oooh, I’d forgotten that…! Thanks!
Hey! Let’s kill the heart and rescue the liver! Just don’t eat any this time Digger!
Hehe
Helix makes the engineer in me happy. He truly understands the difference between theory and practice: “The difference between theory and practice is that, in theory, there is no difference, but in practice, there is.”
The commentary about hyena gods and hearts vs livers is interesting — and definitely a source of uncertainly here. Just to be sure they need to destroy both — not a trivial task with the enormous size of the organs involved here — never mind the tireless minions trying to stop you. However, since it appears Sweetgrass Voice needs the heart going, one wonders if the liver *does* contain the essence of He-Is — the only organs that were seen were the heart and the liver. SGV cannot destroy He-Is without destroying himself – but with the liver separated from the heart, SGV may have gained a lot more control.
I wonder why digger has not asked about the way home yet.
Regarding the parentage of Shadowchild…
Didn’t Helix just tell us that He-Is appeared as a bird?
A possibly demonic shadow thingy springing up from a dead bird vs. a hyena god who took the shape of a bird and who happens to be possessed by a demon…
Does anyone else think that Shadowchild might be related to, an aspect of or possibly even a disguise of SGV?
To tiggertoo, continuing this thought: Rather than destroying it… if Sweetgrass Voice dies with the heart, then He-Is will be a dead Eaten One of the tribe. I’m assuming that the term ‘Eaten’ means that, like most culturally ‘unclean’ sorts, they probably don’t get the usual funeral rites upon death if they’re outcast (their name was already eaten, after all.) But we’re talking about a god here– if the tribe decided that He-Is should be absorbed back into the tribe, maybe they’d need to eat He-Is’s liver? Group activity, one reeeeeeally big feast? **imagines a horrified Digger’s eyes bugging out: “Oh hell no not AGAIN.”**
And if one wants to kill Sweetgrass Voice only?
I am sorry to say that all I can think of is awful puns about God-liver oil.
At last, after several hours of reading, I am finally caught up!
I don’t see any message boards, so I’ll just say this here- thank you so much for making this wonderful comic available for free viewing! This is one of the most gripping and fascinating stories I have ever read, and the art is a real treat too. Keep up the good work.
was just enjoying a trip through the archive when this thought occured to me, apologies if its already been mentioned, shadowchild was born of a dead bird, He-Is formed out of a birds body any thoughts ?
If death is the ultimate purifier, might not the Eaten become acceptable again when they’re dead?
Interesting, ysabet. Hmm… what if Ed eats the liver?
ortonmc: oh God that was terrible
Well, I remember the legend said that SweetGrass voice entered in the liver of He-is “the badness find hole in liver” or something like that… what if they destroy the heart and that kills He-is, but not Sweetgrass voice?
Theoretically? You mean you haven’t actually tried it? Oh, right…
@winner: Digger said at one point that some people don’t get to go home. I think by this point she no longer expects to.
@ortonmc: Oy. *winces* good one.
Ed only said that feelings came from the liver, not that it was the whole life and essence of a person. And in any case, it’s still the heart keeping the dying god’s blood pumping for the Cold Servants to feed upon — regardless of whether he’d be getting very far without his liver. 😉
Rueyeet has a point. Also, keeping the heart going sounds like a more proper way to keep someone on (divine symboldriven) life support, than doing it with the liver. A lack of pulse is generally more noticeable than one of detoxication.