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.

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.

But, now there are a few people that I consider friends of whom I’ve never actually met in person! Just from sharing the common interest of wanting to draw our own stories and share them with the world.

JM Henry is one of those individuals, and I’d like to share with you his comic The Lostland:

“It all starts with some dubious info, a misunderstanding, and a well-known incident that sets a chain of events in motion…”

The Lostland is the adventures of four travelers unknowingly wrapped up in a chain of events, all leading to one man’s plot to turn the world on it’s head. Action, laughs, and mystery all packed into one Post-Apoc world.

We as a human race love stories; we just never seem to get tired of them!

And, when you combine all the oddness and differences that all people tend to have, it’s no wonder that we never seem to run out of unique stories being written and drawn.

One of the things I love about The Lostland is how JM Henry gives it all a bit of that Wild, Wild West feel. Plus, the unique style is just super lovable! Whatever future projects he may have, I’m sure they will all be very worth following.

If you want to read it, you can do so a bunch of places:

Website: http://lostlandcomic.com/

Tapas: https://tapas.io/series/the_lostland

Webtoon: https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/the-lostland/list?title_no=58840

Go give him some support!

Stay strange, my friends!

The post Feature Friday #3: “The Lostland” by JM Henry appeared first on EOTERA.

It’s just so with Maiden in Disguise, and it’s even more so with NotImportant’s Replay Comic:

What is this awesome comic about?

From NotImportant’s website:

What if your boss could destroy the world…
…and went with the idea?

As civilization collapses under endless waves of monsters, a group of survivors desperately tries to find the means to fight back. Or at least die a little later.

Neither Ada nor Robert are willing to lay down and wait quietly for the end. As they figure out the long forgotten rules of magic, find ways to ensure survival, build new friendships and deal with the demons, our heroes throw bad puns, make anime references and fall in love with the wrong people.

Replay is a fun urban fantasy story with many secondary flavors. Despite the grim setting the story is meant to be a mix of lighthearted tone and serious storytelling. There’s occasional colorful gore, dead bodies and some language, so it might not be suitable for young or sensitive readers.

If you feel like watching people struggle while they plot revenge on the guy who destroyed the world on a whim, you’re in the right place! Not convinced?

Well, doesn’t that sound like an absolute blast?

Of course it does!

You can actually read her comic for free on her website here:

http://replaycomic.com/

I’m still trying to figure out how to do what she does on her website for Maiden in Disguise on here. But, until then . . . You’ll just have to wait *heh heh*.

Until then, until then . . .

Stay strange, strangers.

The post Feature Friday #2: “Replay” by NotImportant appeared first on EOTERA.

My very first Kickstarter!

This project is turning into something much larger than I expected (as all things tend to do), and I’m looking to crowdfund it to help pay for the design and editing of this doohicky. With it being my first ever project of this sort, I’m keeping the goal small at $500, as this should pay for everything needed to complete the Visitor’s Guide to Eotera while also being realistically achievable.

Here’s short video so you can learn more:

Here’s a larger sneak-peek at the cover page of my Visitor’s Guide:

Check out my Kickstarter page (the preview of it, at least) HERE. You can also click on the picture to be redirected to the appropriate page.

Please feel free to leave some feedback! Just . . . be nice about it.

I am a smol bean.

Stay strange, strangers.

The post A Visitor’s Guide to Eotera: Kickstarter Launching Jan. 4th, 2019 appeared first on EOTERA.

I got my shipment in!!!

Now it is starting to actually feel like I am a two-time published author!

And book 3 is less than 20 Pages away!!!

WOW!!!! Just wow!

To think, only 5 years ago I was putting together the rough beginnings of an idea I had for a comic book and now I have published, twice! It is so amazing to see my hard work paying off. All of your support, all of my tears, all of my sweat over the years to bring my uplifting stories into this world and into your hand. It is truly an accomplishment by both of us! All of you Strangers out there reading my unedited webcomic and cheering me on. All of my Loyal Patrons. I could not have gotten here without you all, Thank you!

As most of you know, I’ve always had stories to tell! Being dyslexic I could never get the things in my imagination down onto paper until comics and manga had opened up a whole new world to me! A world where I could communicate! I have found my passion, and I devote all my free time to getting better at drawing and storytelling! Now it is my Full-time job, and I am, by definition, a professional in this industry… And it’s kinda scary sometimes.  But every time I get to have the pleasure of handing someone my book and seeing there face light up makes it worth working through the hard and the scary stuff!

Strangers, as much as I want to inspire you, you all have inspired me. You have helped me grow and become more confident in all aspects of my life. With you guys buy my side, I know we will go far!!!

Let’s share uplifting stories with the world!!! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Stay Strange,

Bitsy Tandem

The post 2 Time Published Author! appeared first on EOTERA.

Hey Strangers!

I am back with a silly video for you all to enjoy!!!

In this Vlog I will answer these 10 questions for you;

• Explain your Twitter Handle
• Do you care about what people think of you?
• What is your Slogan/Motto and why?
• What Fictional Character do you have a crush on?
• What did you want to be when you grew up?
• If you were a fictional character who would you be?
• What Skill would want to just know right now?
• What do you do to chill-out?
• What is a common misconception that you hate?
• Where do you do to meet new people?

If you Answer any 3 of the 10 questions + the bonus question (what fictional character would I be) you will get  2 Big TheBitzr Thumbs Up!!!!

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Stay Strange,

Bitsy

The post Lets Getting Personal, Answering 10 Random Questions from the internet! appeared first on EOTERA.

To celebrate the grand opening of my online store I am putting up a Coupon Code so you can get 20% off every TheBitzr product for the first week of it’s opening! Just type in FIRST as the coupon code when you are ready to check out.

Enjoy this first week of discounts to the fullest!!!

Stay Strange,

Bitsy Tandem

The post Grand Opening Sale!!! appeared first on EOTERA.