That was quite the riot of a prologue wasn’t it?

Assistant Bean here.

When I’m not busy pecking away at my partner in a fit of editorial rage, I like to think I’m also creating other things that make the Realms and Realities surrounding the world of Eotera ever more captivating and charmingly complicated.

And that’s what this is! A Side of Beans is (as of now, and hopefully continuing for the foreseeable future) where you’ll find some of the additional of-to-the-side stuff that you might see and wonder about from each chapter of the comics and stories we produce.

[By the way, you haven’t actually ready the pilot chapter of our current main story, do so HERE]

There’s so much to explore, but sometimes so few comic panels to put everything we’d want to show you. That’s part of the fun though when it comes to stories like Maiden in Disguise. It’s the questions left unanswered, and the desire to know “what’s around the next corner” that keeps us coming back for more.

. . . You are coming back for more, right? Ok, good.

Because when it comes to the stories Bitsy and I make . . . just because someone might be the main character, and just because their actions may have world-altering consequences . . . that doesn’t necessarily mean that the entire world just also happens to revolve around them.

There’s so much more to a world! Or universe, even. And frankly, this bean finds it a bit annoying when just a single person seems to be the center of everything. Even if they are the “Chosen One.” 

So, A Side of Beans is here to fill in the gaps and create some new ones that hint at the other larger things happening concurrently in the real and digital realms. 

This is the first of many to come! Buckle in, fellow beans, and enjoy:

People Who Might be Important

High King of Karthion and son of the late King Boehrn Kaycis, Aldric has widely been regarded as a bit of a putz and ineffectual king. While not despised or otherwise thought ill of, this paltry royal wouldn’t exactly be any of his citizens first choice for a ruler. But, he performs his duties well-enough, if a bit stiffly and without fanfare. And he doesn’t seem to start any unnecessary wars, so his citizens haven’t felt any need to forcibly change the crown. Yet. Though, they will snicker behind his back. 

To make matters a bit worse, everyone knows his wife “wears the pants” in the relationship and makes most of the actual decisions of any true weight in the Kingdom. As such, there are some who’ll whisper that it’s actually the Queendom of Karthion. No, general respect for King Kaycis isn’t exactly an abundant resource, but there isn’t any citizen who will directly diss him to his face. Because, at the end of the day, things in Karthion surprisingly seem to go better than expected with him on the throne, despite everyone else’s doubts.

Beautiful, radiant, and a bit prone to wandering eyes. Everyone suspects the High Queen Lerulyn Lleanice is having an affair. With whom? It’s anyone’s guess, but most believe a certain Son of Aggronar may be the perpetrator. Either way, her marriage to Karthion’s crown was an arrangement made to strengthen the ties between the Humans and the Elvyn who reside nearby, but often unseen. This relationship has been favorable, fortunately enough, 

Despite rumors, however, there has yet to be any corroborated evidence beyond rumor as to the Queen’s fidelity. Is she a flirt? Yes. Does she seem to be often annoyed by her husband? Most definitely. Has she been caught in cahoots with someone to whom one could possibly even be cahoot-ing with? Remains to be seen. Perhaps she’s too good at what she does. Or, perhaps it’s something else entirely.

Huge and instigating, this young brawler hailing from the Splintered Tribes of Silderon, has come to Karthion having already made a bit of a name for himself. No one’s quite sure what that name is, except that everyone around these parts has at least heard his name before. It’s not much of a reputation, really, but it’s enough for this arm-for-hire as he seeks out employ and his next fight. 

Word is that he’s currently on a bit of personal quest seeking some unnamed legendary artifact that imbues the wielder with unfathomable strength. Hardly anyone believes it exists, even amongst his tribe members, yet it’s enough of a prize to him that he is currently one of the few Goliaths to be venturing off his home planet in search of it.

Places Worth Remembering 

The Kingdom of Karthion – Ashvoth, Mireth

Though not the largest, nor the most powerful kingdom, Karthion is central to the happenings on the continent of Ashvoth. Incredibly abundant in valuable resources, such as Myrrhlian spice and highly sought after cows, and with a favorable location that makes it a hub for trade, this Kingdom is almost always in the eye of other nearby powers as a country in need of conquering. 

However, despite Karthion being the only true city within its borders, with most of its surrounding plains being farmland and tiny villages, most invading armies are heavily dissuaded from attempting to take over simply due to one fact: The proximity of Aggronar Castle. For generations, the imposing dominance that is the Aggronar name is enough to strike fear in any interlopers heart. So, it goes without saying that the very shadow of their ancestral home’s ramparts arcing across the land acts as an intangible, but no less impregnable wall.

As such, the royals here have always done their best to maintain cordial relations with the Aggronars in the hopes that their mutual goals will always stay in line. However, as of late, there is talk that things are starting to become less-than-friendly between these two powers, and it’s only a matter of time before something happens.

Just as well, Karthion, like most other countries, has a host of its own domestic issues to worry about.

With its few untamed areas being scattered with forests, sudden gullies, and deep underground caverns, it has easily made a home for a violent race of beast-like humanoids called Gnolls, who frequently terrorize smaller nearby settlements, as well as travelers on the road.  They are a pest that seem nigh impossible to eradicate entirely, keeping the kingdom’s guards and intrepid adventurers constantly on their toes. And though the Humans and Elvyn occupying this territory have reached a comfortable alliance, there are hushed whispers of a shadowy group moving unseen, slowly plotting the demise of this tenuous existence.

However, there is one other reason why Karthion has remained unperturbed by outside forces seeking its fortunate position. Not too far from the castle itself, in the forests that seem to hold a preternatural darkness, a gigantic lumbering beast simply referred to as Red Eyes reigns supreme. Solitary, ravenous, and vicious, it answers only to the true king of Karthion, due to an ancient contract from time immemorial. But, agreements don’t always last forever, and there’s no telling if or when such a creature will once again foam freely.

Easter Eggs & Special Appearances

Thank you KittyClara00 for your support on Kickstarter!

Thank you Joselyn Murray for your support on Kickstarter!

—

How was your first experience with A Side of Beans? Not too bad? Excellent!

Take a deeper dive into the world of Eotera by becoming a direct supporter on Patreon. There’s plenty of goodies, rewards, and more in store for you by joining the Stranger Army! Just click the link below to get started:

BECOME A PATRON

See you next time!

The post A Side of Beans Entry #1 | Maiden in Disguise: New Game Prologue Extras appeared first on EOTERA.

Oh my goodness, would you just look at this world map?!

Isn’t it just the greatest thing ever?!

Hehehehe, I am just over the moon with how perfect this thing turned out. My friend Damien Mammoliti, of Bone and Brush Studio made this for my Visitor Guide to Eotera.

And, it’s one of the few things I’ve ever seen that has turned out exactly as I originally imagined it in my head. It’s actually probably even better!

Being the centerpiece for the Visitor Guide, you can expect it to be fully complete and ready to be delivered to you (if you were a part of the original kickstarter) within the next couple weeks or so.

I’m so excited to have it finished finally.

Are you?

I sure hope so.

Soon, my friends. Very, very soon.

The post The World of Eotera Has Arrived! appeared first on EOTERA.

It’s almost done, guys! I’m excited to tell you that as of last night, all of the writing for the Visitor Guide to Eotera is 99% complete. I can’t really say 100% as of yet, simply because it’s hard to say what additions may need be added during the editing, revisions, and final formatting processes. But, I can say that in terms of large specific chunks, there is no more writing that needs finishing.

I’m so ready to get it out and published for you all!

Plus, this means we are continuing to stay on track schedule-wise and should be able to get it out before May rolls around.

In the mean time, here are the final Sneak Peeks I’m going to give you before the final publishing:

See you in Eotera in a little more than month!

Stay strange, strangers.

The post Visitor Guide to Eotera: Writing Complete! appeared first on EOTERA.

It’s coming!

Avengers: Endgame will be here before we know it, and the hype that is building is unreal. I’m sure this movie will be unlike any that we have seen before. And, from what I hear, it’s slated to be almost 3 hours in length, which means we’re going to get quite the story.

And, for some reason, I feel like this is going to be the first movie in the MCU where the humor will be significantly subdued. The Avengers have lost; it will be quite clear in the way that they act, which has already been apparent in previews we’ve seen. Though, I don’t believe there will be a lack of jokes, just that when the funny stuff happens it will be like everyone’s simply trying to hold things together when they’re all so close to losing their minds. Especially, Clint Barton/Hawkeye.

I also have a feeling that the movie is going to open with us reliving The Snap™ from different perspective across Earth and the rest of the Universe. I’m guessing Clint is at his family farm being a family man and having a great time, until his whole family disappears into dust. I’m betting Pepper Pots is gone, too. So, when Tony makes it back to Earth, he’ll only find her gone.

Which leads me to my theory. Well, it’s less of a theory and more of just a guess. But, I’m of the firm belief that Tony Stark dies in this film. His story ends here, after the defeat of the Mad Titan Thanos. Tony will get his hands on the Infinity Gauntlet, which we saw extensively damaged at the end of Avengers: Infinity War. I’m thinking that it’s damage is too great, and that if Tony uses it to bring back the people who died from the snap, it will be at the cost of his own life.

That’s just how I’m calling it.

We’ll just have to see in April!

What do you think is going to happen?

The post Avengers: Endgame – A Theory appeared first on EOTERA.

It’s with great excitement that I announce that the Visitor Guide is still ahead of schedule! If I were to give it a percentage, I would have to say it’s between 70% – 80% finished. There are still quite a few images left, but a good few of them are actually what the Kickstarter project funds were for anyway! I have a couple colleagues who are working on some maps and other pictures that will help bring Eotera to life even better than I could myself.

But, when I first started working on this guide, the city of Hikarimofu was one of the first things I made. Here’s the original version for you viewing pleasure:

Quite a bit different, eh?

While it’s not bad at all, it’s also clear that buildings and cities just aren’t my forte when it comes to art. And, while I wasn’t unhappy with this image, I wasn’t super thrilled with it either. It just didn’t capture the feel for The Glimmering City like I wanted it to.

Thankfully, I was able to start from scratch and get things figured out to an even better degree!

Anyway, here’s a bit about this place, residing in Eotera’s far western country of Tsukiame:

To visit the largest city in Eotera, is to feel like you could never truly see it all. Food, music, dance, performances, and countless other experiences; you could spend your entire life here and see something new each and every day.

Its geographical location on the planet makes its ambience fundamentally unique, too. Being positioned between opposing atmospheric pressure systems, most haze that would typically build atop such a metropolis instead gets swept away, leaving the night sky perfectly clear each evening.

And, as if to add to the effect, at times the mystical hues of the aurora that frequent the skies above seem to play an intricate dance with the twinkling lights of the city below.

Thus, while looking across the expanse of this urban marvel, a visitor to this world can easily see how it came by its name and moniker.

You’ll see this and much more soon to come!

The Visitor Guide is set to publish late April to early May. I will also have preorder available in the next few weeks!

Until then . . .

Stay strange, strangers.

The post Visitor Guide to Eotera Sneak Peek: The Glimmering City of Hikarimofu appeared first on EOTERA.

Well, it some ways, the time I’ve spend doesn’t hold a candle to Michael DeAngelo’s world of Tellest.

Michael is a friend of mine who I like to imagine as myself, but a few decades into the future. His ideas began around the year 2000, and he’s been working on his worlds and stories for almost as long as I’ve been alive!

And, as he’s come along, he’s amassed quite the team of artists, writers, voice actors, and other such professional to bring his stories to life. It’s something that, as I sit here writing this, that I am completely in awe of. But, I also can’t wait to reach a similar point where people are so in love with my own worlds and stories that they just can’t stop themselves from wanting to take part.

Here’s a better image from this blog’s featured banner:

There are many, many more like it on his website:

www.tellest.com

Here’s just a little about his world, told from the most renowned historian on Tellest, Gaston Camlann:

‘I’ve never looked down upon such beauty, as the day I stood upon the peak of Mount In’Adell.’
            Thundar Proudfist wrote that in his book, “The Mountains of Lustra”.  The writings were a memoir of a minotaur, who had been bred into a warlike society, who longed for a change to his scenery.  He traveled the whole of Lustra, before finally ascending the aforementioned mountain in the final passage of his book.
            Tellest is an aged world.  The trees and mountains are testament of that.  Wisdom abounds in the landscape surrounding us, and the wind carries the secrets of old.
            The gods created Tellest from a hunk of molten lava.  They breathed life onto its surface, cooling the fires wrought upon the plane.  They cried tears of joy, which created the grand oceans and lakes.  They cultivated Tellest’s solid form, and grew great fields and trees and mountains.  Through the gods, Tellest was born.
            Life on Tellest was born soon after.  The gods populated the planet with all manner of beast, from the lowly mouse, to the great dragon.  Multiple types of flowers and herbs sprang up from the dirt, helping to color the once dismal world.  But Tellest still lacked beings of greater knowledge.
            The gods decided upon three greater races that would live upon the surface of Tellest.  Each would live of their own free will, able to make their own mistakes or victories.  It was up to the three to decide how they would proceed through life.
            The elves were the first to walk this earthen plane.  They were the first mortal children of the gods.  They were jealous of their creators, though, and many had forsaken them.  The dwarves were created next.  Their loyalty to the gods has earned them great favor, and many had thrived with the blessings of Golernus.  Humans took presence afterwards, formed in the true image of the gods themselves.
            The three races vied for the love of their creators, warring and meddling with each other until the Elves banished humans to the depths of the deepest mountains, the dwarves also playing their part in the third race’s exile.
            But this greatly angered the gods.
            They had not created mankind to simply be wiped out, never to be seen again.  A cataclysm of rage and fury tore the world apart, ripping the world asunder and sinking parts of it to the ocean.  Volcanoes shot up from the depths of the seas, creating new, hostile lands.  Storms shattered the single land mass into a series of continents and smaller isles.
            Following the Sundering, the gods created  scores of other creatures, and other races.  The orcs, gnolls, kobolds, kaja, lagano, minotaur, and many others took face on the planet, each with their own unique views on life.  If the elves and dwarves thought the world was theirs alone, they were mistaken.
            Then, over nine hundred years ago, the first of us men began climbing from our earthen holes.  We escaped from our exile, appearing in every corner of the world, ready to live anew upon the surface.  We had forgiven the elves and dwarves, and found new allies waiting for us in the orcs, minotaur, kobolds and kaja.
            Together, this world is ours.
            Together, we will thrive.

I hope you enjoy his stuff!

Stay strange, strangers.

The post Feature Friday #6: Tellest by Michael DeAngelo appeared first on EOTERA.

The Visitor Guide to Eotera is coming along much quicker than I originally expected! Which is good, because it has also turned out to be much bigger than expected as well. Originally, when the Visitor Guide first became an idea, I was only thinking of making like a 15 page pamphlet. But now, it’s likely going to be just under 100 pages!

Full color. Tons of details. Super entertaining.

And, it’ll answer all the big juicy questions that you may have about my world.

My main writer and I have been having a super enjoyable time making what we have so far, and I would say we are just about a third of the way finished.

So, without any more preamble, I’d like to give you another Sneak Peek to a continent on Eotera: Ninlil

Widely regarded as the place where modern people originated from, Ninlil is a vast jungle country that in some ways never moved forward in time. 

Though there are a few large metropolitian areas on the coasts of this land,  the interior is all untamed forest, with many areas still yet untouched by  modern Eoterans. 

While also home to the largest butterflies in the world, there are some that  believe that deep in this sea of trees and foliage live vestiges of the past;  truly ancient creatures who never knew extinction and have been living  undisturbed for perhaps millions of years. 

But, to find them would be nothing short of an ordeal, as even with  technology today it’s nearly impossible to forge an expedition into the center. 

Only the indigenous folk who never left Ninlil have ever been there, and  they may always stay that way.

Tucked between the Allied Nation States and the coast of Uhldranya, this place is one of the more mysterious on the planet!

More to come soon.

Until then . . .

Stay strange, my friends.

The post Visitor Guide to Eotera Sneak Peek: The Jungles of Ninlil appeared first on EOTERA.

I can’t believe my VERY FIRST Kickstarter has not only completed, but it was an over-the-top success!

My initial goal was a simple $500 to help pay for some editing and design costs from another individual, but with a 252% of funding met, that puts us at a whopping $1,265! Which means, we actually met TWO of the stretch goals that were a part of this Visitor Guide to Eotera Kickstarter project. So now, individuals who have contributed at least $20 will get a very limited edition, first-time hard-print and autographed copy of the Guide. And, ALL people who contributed will get special button showing how they supported bringing Eotera to life.

Thank you so, so, so much everyone!

But, something I am unbelievably excited for is this:

This is a world map made by Damien Mammoliti for Dunia. Damien is a well-known concept artist who has done amazing work for giant projects such as Starfinder, Pathfinder, and Nocturion. And, best of all, he’s agreed to help me create a super detailed world map for my world of Eotera much in the same theme as above!

It’s truly going to be a pivotal moment in seeing this world finally coming to life, and I can’t wait to see it.

Just as well, I don’t know if you’ve seen this yet, but this is the newly updated cover concept for Visitor Guide:

As you may know, my Visitor Guide to Eotera is narrated by my two AI, Armin & 1-048. They’ll be walking you through just about everything you’ll need to know about my world!

I can’t wait to show everything that’s amazing about this place; it will be here soon.

Thank you again everyone.

Eotera will be arriving shortly.

Until then . . .

Stay strange, strangers!

The post Visitor Guide to Eotera: Kickstarter Finished! appeared first on EOTERA.

I had a pretty cool opportunity arise last week where Tyler James of ComixLaunch reached out to me asking if I’d like to provide a quick blurb to his weekly podcast about my current Kickstarter.

Of course, nervously, I said yes!

I appear (or, at least my voice does) near the end of the podcast at around 1:08:47 for those of you who want to hear. I’m quite proud of how I was able to keep the anxiety out of my voice!

Check it out here on Podcast #184:

For those of you who don’t know, Tyler does an amazing job of helping comic authors and illustrators get their work launched, featured, and noticed on multiple platforms. His stuff has helped me a ton!

Just a few days left on that Visitor Guide to Eotera Kickstarter, too!

As of today, we’re only $115 shy away from Stretch Goal #2 which will get all contributors of $20 or greater to receive a premium first edition print copy of the Guide.

You could be one of those people!

The post ComixLaunch Podcast Shoutout appeared first on EOTERA.

We’re in the very last week of my Visitor Guide to Eotera Kickstarter Project:

It’s with much excitement that I inform you: We’re actually 190% FUNDED as of this moment! That means this was all a resounding success. 

But, with your help, we can meet some “Stretch Goals” that can only be met by securing funding past our initial goal. We’re only a few hundred short of $1200 total funding, which will allow me to deliver premium hard-print copies of the Visitor Guide to Eotera to all individuals who contribute at least $20.

I hope you decide to be one of them!

In the meantime, I’ve gotten so excited that this project is a go, that my assistant and I have gone ahead and created the very first few pages to the guide.

As you may already know, all of my stories are softly narrated at points by my two spunky AI, Armin and AI 1-0428, the lovable hosts of the Trans-Universal Web-Show. They will be your guides throughout your travels in Eotera.

Here they are:

See you at the finish line, Strangers

The post Visitor Guide to Eotera Sneak Peek: First 3 Pages! appeared first on EOTERA.