i honestly just snapped one of the arms of my chair from gripping because of how excited i am .
this will be awesome (though i am sad to see the setting sun on this tale)
OK I’m exaggerating. I’d have long since passed out for lack of air if I really kept up a continuous squeal of excitement/anticipation/frustration (because time moves too slowly for me!)
But yeah, I’ve been pretty much at max-level anticipation for a couple of weeks now.
“Aww. Nobody ever takes me god-killing” I just LOVE Surka. Definitely my kinda gal! Don’t worry honey, I’m sure there is adventure to spare in the days coming up. You’ll get your share.
I can’t think of anything better to say than this:
Surka is awesome!
Ganesh is awesome!
Digger is awesome!
[Insert favorite character here] is awesome!
Found a link to this site on the dwarf fortress forums and spent the rest of the day reading through the archives. Just to have them come to an end right on this page. The universe is cruel.
@ Kevin some how I see Surka and the trolls showing up with the hunters in tow and surka talking all kinds of smack … actually I could even see the old pirate crew showing up. I’m sure Surka will get to have some fun.
There have only been a couple scenes in the comic where digger didn’t actually observe the action (cold servants coming out of the floor, and shadowchild vs. sweetgrass are all I can think of). Hopefully Ursula makes another exception, ’cause I really wanna see Surka and the hyenas throw down against the veiled 🙂
@Sam That’s something we all had to realize. Rushing through the archives, dying to catch up, only to find that we hit that brick wall at the end that only gives way a little every Tuesday and Thursday.
It used to be worse. When I first started reading I got up to a certain amount of pages… Then it said “subscribe please!” And then there were updates you had to keep up with. It was infuriating missing anything. >_<
Being able to read the whole thing is incredible. But damn, Tuesday feels ages away.
I think this is where Surka, and the Statue leaves the story. I expect it will only be Digger and Ed going down the hole, and going out on a limb here, I don’t think either is coming back out this side.
Well, first-time reader who’s just managed to catch up the back catalogue. And it’s all been brilliant so far, with more than a hint of Journey to the West. And that is in no way whatsoever a bad thing.
“Has everyone forgotten that it was oracular slugs that got her into this?”
Well, technically, it was a pocket of bad earth and a fossil that got her wrapped up in all this to start with, so really it all amounts to bad luck.
24 hours… that’s how long in 4 days it took me to read the entire archive. I’m not sure now if I want to check every day for new updates or wait until next year so I can read a block of them together! This is really an awesome story props to UV!
Put in her path on purpose? Well that was “Nauti” of him. I hope from now on he does that sort of thing “lus” often… anyway I love the way this page is drawn, particularly the use of “ink”, although to be honest, the black and white is good, but i think it would look good in “sepia” as well-
*BunnyRock’s Guardian angel El-alrairant promptly attempts to strangle BunnyRock before he can type down and more Cephalopoda puns, the difference between strangulation and throttling being, as all good little Bunnies know, that strangulation applies pressure to the windpipe, were as under English law “throttling” is the application of pressure to the carotid arteries via hands or any contrivance around the throat, although its an old distinction seldom used in court anymore. Isn’t learning fun?*
“We’re actually not sure about that. Ganesh said that the dirt on Digger’s paws, or the air in her lungs could’ve been enough.”
But if she hadn’t hit the pocket, she wouldn’t have gotten lost and picked up the dirt or the ammonite.
Yes, but if she hadn’t hit the pocket, this whole amazing webcomic could’ve been JUST the length Ursula first thought it would be: less than 100 pages. Anyway, maybe she would’ve ventured off and gotten lost anyway. If SGV can make her pick up an ammonite, maybe it can make her wander off.
…I love how everyone says “climax” like this is the end. For all we know, this little arc could end with the god risen and walking the earth. With all manner of dastardly minion at his beck and call. Even if all goes well for our hero, there’s still a bit of Jalim to tidy up, a resolution for Ed, and some kind of ending for Digger herself! The road ahead may no longer be long, but it ain’t short either! 😀
Right chaps and chapesses. I’m back from my enforced absence with a shiny new late 90’s computer I got from a friend (the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar name and email above the comment box the first time I used the new computer to look at this site hinting that my efforts to get said friend to read digger may have been successful). And let this serve as a lesson to you all, yes, for reasons of internet security passwords should be very difficult to guess. The important bit being “Guess” not “remember”, after all the two are not mutually exclusive, and saved passwords and cookies are no substitutes for actually WRITING STUFF DOWN. To be honest as an archaeologist I should have known better than to trust to a computer. There is a reason we still draw out plan and section drawings on permatrace with ink as well as with drawing software: physical remains survive. That basically the POINT of archaeology. That’s the big argument for physical copies of everything OR open source computing when recording archaeology; as digging something up destroys the original archaeological assemblage you have a duty to leave records the will last, otherwise archaeology’s just very meticulous and low-paying vandalism. Heck: in the lecture we were given by a visiting chap from oxford archaeology on why paper or open source records should be kept on everything we were given the truly scary example of a major aviation company which will remain nameless for legal reasons and so I will refer to as “Breathable gas mixture-coach vehicle” for the rest of the story. In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s Breathable gas mixture-coach vehicle decided that with the advances in computer technology made it possible to design an entire air-craft, aimed for short-haul European flights, on computer, with no paper blueprints: when they were needed they would be printed out from one of the master copy’s. Which were kept on magnetic tape. The floppy disk killed the company that made the tape-readers. Soon the source of spare parts dried up. Before anyone at Breathable gas mixture-coach vehicle realised what had happened, the blue prints could not be read because of this and so for years passenger across the world were flown around in vehicles for which no easily accessible spare parts existed, leading to the vehicle being recalled when maintenance workers who knew what they were doing retired as no new ones could be trained as no-one at Breathable gas mixture-coach vehicleh knew how their own planes designed in this brief period fitted together. They started backing up all designs with physical master blue prints after that, and lots of copies so one was always on hand. The moral of the story, the permanence of any information on a computer is governed my how easily it can be accessed and how widely it can be disseminated without cost. Admittedly, the guy giving that lecture was trying to recruit us for his open source GIS mapping classes, but he did have some good points on why closed source id fine for private citizens, but as archaeology belongs to everyone and MUST last you can’t rely on companies not to die on your or refuse to sorport the software holding vital info. Still, if you really want any info to last a long time, I’d recommend write it down on a clay tablet and give one to everyone you can, which is why my password for this site is now carved into the skirting-board somewhere I hope my landlord will never find it.
“Aww. Nobody ever takes me god-killin’.”
Oh, Ursula. Life would be so much drearier without you.
Aaw… “Noone ever takes me god-killin’!”
“See that you do a better job of it than the guy Helix talked to!”
Awww… Wow, that’s really generous and understanding for a god. All the same, I hope Digger must reencounter this one in this life.
It’s alright, Surka. Nobody ever takes me god-killing either.
Eeek. It is getting more and more climactic.
As an atheist, that’s my kinda god! 😀
Odd, but whenever Surka speaks, I mentally hear Marcia from Blinky Bill reading her lines…
i honestly just snapped one of the arms of my chair from gripping because of how excited i am .
this will be awesome (though i am sad to see the setting sun on this tale)
*eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*
OK I’m exaggerating. I’d have long since passed out for lack of air if I really kept up a continuous squeal of excitement/anticipation/frustration (because time moves too slowly for me!)
But yeah, I’ve been pretty much at max-level anticipation for a couple of weeks now.
Feh. I need to complete that time machine. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WAIT UNTIL TUESDAY?!?
“Aww. Nobody ever takes me god-killing” I just LOVE Surka. Definitely my kinda gal! Don’t worry honey, I’m sure there is adventure to spare in the days coming up. You’ll get your share.
It’s amazing I’m still alive, what with my liver constantly being in my throat.
I can’t think of anything better to say than this:
Surka is awesome!
Ganesh is awesome!
Digger is awesome!
[Insert favorite character here] is awesome!
😉
P.S. Don’t forget to VOTE! http://topwebcomics.com/vote/10180/default.aspx
Damn, I knew Surka wouldn’t be able to get in on the fun. Oh well =(
Found a link to this site on the dwarf fortress forums and spent the rest of the day reading through the archives. Just to have them come to an end right on this page. The universe is cruel.
Ah, Ganesh is so generous.
Surka. hehe I think that she will lead a very lively chase.
“If we do not meet again in this life, I will endeavor to see that your next is untroubled by gods.”
*blinks* Personally, I think that Digger is owed that much even if they *do* meet again — !
That’s quite the blessing 😀
Digger: You could bother me a litte. 🙁
Thought I might make that Futurama referance.
Wow, I just finished the archive…. Now I’m going to have to read this an update at a time. Dang.
@ Kevin some how I see Surka and the trolls showing up with the hunters in tow and surka talking all kinds of smack … actually I could even see the old pirate crew showing up. I’m sure Surka will get to have some fun.
There have only been a couple scenes in the comic where digger didn’t actually observe the action (cold servants coming out of the floor, and shadowchild vs. sweetgrass are all I can think of). Hopefully Ursula makes another exception, ’cause I really wanna see Surka and the hyenas throw down against the veiled 🙂
@Sam That’s something we all had to realize. Rushing through the archives, dying to catch up, only to find that we hit that brick wall at the end that only gives way a little every Tuesday and Thursday.
It used to be worse. When I first started reading I got up to a certain amount of pages… Then it said “subscribe please!” And then there were updates you had to keep up with. It was infuriating missing anything. >_<
Being able to read the whole thing is incredible. But damn, Tuesday feels ages away.
@dusk: I remember that! Haha. I was so frustrated, and I was too poor to subscribe (else I totally would have, haha). But now it’s freeee!
Also, Digger was at 42 when I voted just now. Win!
Digger… good luck with the next life.
Up to #41 now 😉
The tension is killing me!!! I feel for Surka, I feel for Digger, and I can hardly wait for Tuesday 😉
@ Jomiller
Haha, I know. All I meant is that we’ll see her a lot less now. Less Surka screen time = sad Kevin.
Heh.
I think this is where Surka, and the Statue leaves the story. I expect it will only be Digger and Ed going down the hole, and going out on a limb here, I don’t think either is coming back out this side.
It’s rather ironic that a god would endeavor to see that one’s life is not interfered with by gods.. isn’t that a catch-22?
Well, first-time reader who’s just managed to catch up the back catalogue. And it’s all been brilliant so far, with more than a hint of Journey to the West. And that is in no way whatsoever a bad thing.
Is it Tuesday yet?
Lol… I agree with Tindi. Usually I can’t wait for the weekend, but now I just want Tuesday to come.
“Untroubled by gods”?
Has everyone forgotten that it was oracular slugs that got her into this?
“Has everyone forgotten that it was oracular slugs that got her into this?”
Well, technically, it was a pocket of bad earth and a fossil that got her wrapped up in all this to start with, so really it all amounts to bad luck.
That’s mighty kind of the statue.
@Silverfish- We’re actually not sure about that. Ganesh said that the dirt on Digger’s paws, or the air in her lungs could’ve been enough.
There were also strong hints that the ammonite was placed in Digger’s path deliberately, probably by SGV or its agents …
😉
24 hours… that’s how long in 4 days it took me to read the entire archive. I’m not sure now if I want to check every day for new updates or wait until next year so I can read a block of them together! This is really an awesome story props to UV!
Put in her path on purpose? Well that was “Nauti” of him. I hope from now on he does that sort of thing “lus” often… anyway I love the way this page is drawn, particularly the use of “ink”, although to be honest, the black and white is good, but i think it would look good in “sepia” as well-
*BunnyRock’s Guardian angel El-alrairant promptly attempts to strangle BunnyRock before he can type down and more Cephalopoda puns, the difference between strangulation and throttling being, as all good little Bunnies know, that strangulation applies pressure to the windpipe, were as under English law “throttling” is the application of pressure to the carotid arteries via hands or any contrivance around the throat, although its an old distinction seldom used in court anymore. Isn’t learning fun?*
“We’re actually not sure about that. Ganesh said that the dirt on Digger’s paws, or the air in her lungs could’ve been enough.”
But if she hadn’t hit the pocket, she wouldn’t have gotten lost and picked up the dirt or the ammonite.
I finally caught up with the updates. The best comics I ever read. All hail digger! For tunnel 17!
Yes, but if she hadn’t hit the pocket, this whole amazing webcomic could’ve been JUST the length Ursula first thought it would be: less than 100 pages. Anyway, maybe she would’ve ventured off and gotten lost anyway. If SGV can make her pick up an ammonite, maybe it can make her wander off.
But now she knows about sgv, and he is weaker then before.
…I love how everyone says “climax” like this is the end. For all we know, this little arc could end with the god risen and walking the earth. With all manner of dastardly minion at his beck and call. Even if all goes well for our hero, there’s still a bit of Jalim to tidy up, a resolution for Ed, and some kind of ending for Digger herself! The road ahead may no longer be long, but it ain’t short either! 😀
Hi chaps, lost all my cookies when my computer died so just posting this here to see if it will still post/ to see if my avitar still comes up…
YES! YES! two hours of randomly guessing at my Graphic smash password with increasing desperation finally paid off!
[*Theme tune from rocky plays*]
Hexadecimal sequences that spell out the names of archaeological sites, you thought you had me beat! But no! I defeated you! Take that! Your mother was http://www.hampsterdance.com/classics/originaldance.htm and your father smells of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambucus_nigra!
Right chaps and chapesses. I’m back from my enforced absence with a shiny new late 90’s computer I got from a friend (the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar name and email above the comment box the first time I used the new computer to look at this site hinting that my efforts to get said friend to read digger may have been successful). And let this serve as a lesson to you all, yes, for reasons of internet security passwords should be very difficult to guess. The important bit being “Guess” not “remember”, after all the two are not mutually exclusive, and saved passwords and cookies are no substitutes for actually WRITING STUFF DOWN. To be honest as an archaeologist I should have known better than to trust to a computer. There is a reason we still draw out plan and section drawings on permatrace with ink as well as with drawing software: physical remains survive. That basically the POINT of archaeology. That’s the big argument for physical copies of everything OR open source computing when recording archaeology; as digging something up destroys the original archaeological assemblage you have a duty to leave records the will last, otherwise archaeology’s just very meticulous and low-paying vandalism. Heck: in the lecture we were given by a visiting chap from oxford archaeology on why paper or open source records should be kept on everything we were given the truly scary example of a major aviation company which will remain nameless for legal reasons and so I will refer to as “Breathable gas mixture-coach vehicle” for the rest of the story. In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s Breathable gas mixture-coach vehicle decided that with the advances in computer technology made it possible to design an entire air-craft, aimed for short-haul European flights, on computer, with no paper blueprints: when they were needed they would be printed out from one of the master copy’s. Which were kept on magnetic tape. The floppy disk killed the company that made the tape-readers. Soon the source of spare parts dried up. Before anyone at Breathable gas mixture-coach vehicle realised what had happened, the blue prints could not be read because of this and so for years passenger across the world were flown around in vehicles for which no easily accessible spare parts existed, leading to the vehicle being recalled when maintenance workers who knew what they were doing retired as no new ones could be trained as no-one at Breathable gas mixture-coach vehicleh knew how their own planes designed in this brief period fitted together. They started backing up all designs with physical master blue prints after that, and lots of copies so one was always on hand. The moral of the story, the permanence of any information on a computer is governed my how easily it can be accessed and how widely it can be disseminated without cost. Admittedly, the guy giving that lecture was trying to recruit us for his open source GIS mapping classes, but he did have some good points on why closed source id fine for private citizens, but as archaeology belongs to everyone and MUST last you can’t rely on companies not to die on your or refuse to sorport the software holding vital info. Still, if you really want any info to last a long time, I’d recommend write it down on a clay tablet and give one to everyone you can, which is why my password for this site is now carved into the skirting-board somewhere I hope my landlord will never find it.