*Bzzt Bzzt!*

Armin here with exciting news!

It may have taken much longer than its creators may have intended but the very first entry in the new Maiden in Disguise universe is finished and up for sale.

I also have it on good authority that fans of Hardcore Leveling Warrior, Solo Leveling, Sword Art Online, will find this fresh take on gender bender isekai manga quite enjoyable.

Let me tell you all about it!

What is Gender Bender?

For those of you who are new to the Realms that contain anime and all its various tropes (Generally, Realms Athus 5 through 14), “gender bender” — though it does roll off the tongue oh-so-easily — may be a little bit of a strange concept.

Basically, gender bender manga are stories where the main character switches gender! Sometimes it’s accidental, like when being reincarnated into a different world after being hit by a truck (why is it always a truck?). Or, it’s a misunderstanding, like when other characters don’t realize their friend’s outward appearance doesn’t match who they actually are.

As you might expect, this genre tends to be fun, light-hearted, and full of the good-natured, slice of life shenanigans that arise from the delightfully awkward situations of all involved. And, more often than not, they lead to some very wholesome romance! (*wink wink*)

What is Isekai?

Oh yes! While we’re at it — What in Eotera is this “Isekai”? Thankfully, Isekai exists not just in your Realm of Athus 8, but on Athus 12, too! Oddly enough. Ah, here I go again, digressing, as usual.

Anway, “Isekai” comes from Athus 8’s Terran Japanese word 異世界 which means “different world, parallel universe, or alternate dimension.” And yes, it is pronounced exactly as we’ve been saying in Terran English.

Isekai manga is an extremely broad genre that often goes hand-in-hand (or, tentacle-in-tentacle; we don’t discriminate here) with quite a few others — like adventure, harem, combat, and horror. Whether it’s reincarnation via an automobile induced demise, getting trapped in an online video game, or stepping through a closet that’s a portal to a land ruled by a divine lion, you’ll find realities unlike your own just tantalizing you to get lost in them.

It’s no wonder isekai graphic novels are some of the most popular stories in existence at the moment! If you haven’t read one yet, it’s about time you did.

Maiden in Disguise — Gender Bender Isekai Manga with TWO Stories in One!

Maiden in Disguise: New Game is not your typical graphic novel!

Without giving anything away, perhaps the most unique thing about our favorite new story is how the main plot follows the adventures of two completely different characters in two completely different worlds, but who are still essentially the same person.

And best of all?

There are quite a few other things that are different about Maiden in Disguise.

A Manga with a Surprising Twist . . . with a twist!

Right from the beginning, Maiden in Disguise gets its first twist right out of the way. It’s no secret that the world-famous icon Elrynd Aggronar, the strongest character in the most highly watched and played VRMMORPG on Eotera (Luminarion: Legend of Worlds), is actually played by an individual named Elianna Adelaide.

After deciding to reveal herself to the world after years of hiding behind her enigmatic digital alter-ego, her debut into the spotlight of the real world of her reality leads to some unforeseen consequences. Especially as shadowy forces in both worlds conspire to potentially nefarious ends.

And, unbeknownst to her, perhaps she wasn’t very clear to the public on exactly who she really is . . .

Weak MC vs. Overpowered MC

Isekai manga stories generally follow one of two tropes:

1. Either the Main Character (MC) is overpowered from the get-go, easily accomplishing all their aspirations and cutting through swathes of enemies with barely any effort from day one.
2. Or, they start off extremely weak and have to fight tooth-and-nail (or, fang-and-claw; we don’t discriminate here) to get to their overpowered state by the end of the story. This can be more thematically satisfying than the latter, but can end up feeling anticlimactic as the MC easily overcomes their final obstacle because, well, they’re overpowered by then.

However, Maiden in Disguise: New Game asks:

“Why not both?”

Elianna Adelaide and Elrynd Aggronar are polar opposites. One is weak in her world and the other is strong in his. But, is that really all there is?

That’s the fun of a story! You’ll just have to read to find out.

Besides, as far as we’re aware, this is the only gender bender isekai manga out there that has the main character constantly living life on both ends of the gender spectrum.

How is the Maiden in Disguise manga similar to Hardcore Leveling Warrior?

In the Webtoon Hardcore Leveling Warrior, Ethan Gong is a downtrodden and luckless individual in the real world who is best known in the game Lucid Adventure as the cocky and invincible character of the same name as the story. As Hardcore Leveling Warrior, he stands peerless above all, snickering with his ever-present sneer at all beneath him, until an unfortunate event sends him straight back to level 1.

Maiden in Disguise draws a lot of inspiration from this popular Webtoon, what with how Elrynd also shows no mercy to the noobs who seek to dethrone him from his #1 spot and there being a simultaneous game/real world story. Elrynd and Ethan would probably make for good friends, except, you know, they wouldn’t.

However, in Hardcore Leveling Warrior’s Lucid Adventure game, all characters stay consistently unilateral in their gender across both worlds. Plus, while the game is exceedingly popular, its in-world events aren’t exactly widely observed by the outside world.

Plus, Maiden in Disguise: New Game aims to be considerably less dark than Hardcore Leveling Warrior can get at times, while still preserving tons of awesome action scenes (or so I’ve been told).

How is the Maiden in Disguise manga similar to Solo Leveling?

The overpowered MC trope is best experienced only after witnessing how that character reached that peak after tons of hardship and suffering. And Solo Leveling’s Sung Jinwoo is one of the best characters to enjoy that adventure, as he goes from the weakest E-rank Hunter barely clearing Gates to the planet-decimating OP MC that makes even Nation Ranked Hunters quiver in fear.

Unfortunately, once Sung Jinwoo reaches a certain level of power, he quickly becomes too powerful and basically all of his battles become, in a word . . . boring. Oh, don’t get us wrong. The fights are exciting, beautifully drawn, and Sun Jinwoo is hotter than any man has the right to be, but combat manga loses a certain amount of thrill when battles are extremely one-sided. No matter how gorgeous the fight scenes are illustrated.

Maiden in Disguise: New Game aims to be a gender bender manga with OP MC that is never quite that OP, if you catch my drift.

Luminarion: Legend of Worlds, the MMORPG game in Maiden in Disguise is one in which even the most powerful of characters (*cough* Elrynd *cough*) are ever invincible. And, a little cleverness by even some of the weakest of players can go a long way.

How is the Maiden in Disguise manga similar to Sword Art Online?

Sword Art Online (SAO) is arguably not an isekai — depending who you talk to — yet it’s the anime that largely popularized the genre in the modern Athus 8 Realm. And, it’s also the one that made the concept of being stuck in a video game world or reincarnated into one super vogue (sorry, .hack//Sign).

If you don’t already know, the Sword Art Online story follows Kazuto Kirigaya, AKA Kirito, as he logs into the game synonymous with the anime’s name. Shortly after many other players log in, they quickly learn from the game’s enigmatic creator that they are now stuck in the world of Aincrad until the final level of the game is beaten. And, of course, that they’ll die in the real world if they are killed in the game world, or if they are disconnected from the game for any reason.

It gets pretty heavy sometimes, for sure.

Maiden in Disguise has definitely got the like-real-life VRMMORPG thing. And while both stories do an excellent job of blending the separate lives of the characters in each of the worlds together, Maiden in Disguise does its best to be much less traumatic, while still maintaining high stakes via other means.

Plus, Elrynd Aggronar is, in our completely biased opinion, much more of a convincing badass character than Kirito. Sad, black-haired loners need to move aside for the cocky and jacked dragonman about to take over!

Where to buy Maiden in Disguise: New Game

If you’re looking for a new gender bender isekai manga to read, you’ll definitely find lots of enjoyable tropes being satisfied with just the right amount of unexpected subversions.

Our professional recommendation on where to get Maiden in Disguise: New Game on Realm Athus 8? (That’s where your Earth is, if you’ve forgotten where you exist in the Vast Realms of the Multiverse).

You can buy the book here:

https://promos.eotera.com/

However, you’re not quite ready to buy the actual book yet, you can read the manga as it becomes available for free on our Manga Page.

The post Maiden in Disguise — Gender Bender Isekai Manga with a Surprising Twist appeared first on EOTERA.

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.

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.

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.

I seriously cannot believe this is happening!

Literally less than a week since launching, and we’re already well above and past the initial goal of $500 for this project. I really didn’t even begin to dare to hope that this was at all possible.

What this means now, is that the Kickstarter Stretch Goals for the Visitor Guide are not only realistically attainable, but a possibility I almost had not considered. As such, I felt a need to update these to such:

Plus, this also means that extra surplus funds can be used to further outsource many other tasks, meaning that the Visitor Guide is going to be EVEN BETTER than I originally hoped.

To think, this was at first going to be such a simple project.

If you want to see a video of me totally going insane, check out my Kickstarter and its updates here:

Just because, we’ve hit our main goal doesn’t mean we stop here!

I really, really, reeeeaaallly want to get hard copies into everyone’s hands, and to make other rewards from the kickstarter stretch goals a reality.

Let’s make it happen, strangers!

The post Visitor Guide to Eotera: Kickstarter 145% FUNDED! appeared first on EOTERA.

We’re finally here, guys!

Holy Moley!

This project has been a long and hard preparation process for me and Assistant Bean to take on, and we’re super excited to present to you:

The Visitor Guide to Eotera Kickstarter is Live!

Check it out via this link:

It would mean so much to me if you decide to fund this project. I currently have a very small goal of just $500, as this should be enough to support the endeavors of myself and a couple other team members to design, write, and edit the entire Guide.

But!

There are a few “Stretch Goals” that I would really like to hit, such as being able to make full-out, hard-printed versions of the Visitor Guide, printed post cards from the world of Eotera, and maybe even super cute plushies of Elrynd Aggronar for contributors.

All of this can be possible with your help, stranger.

Last night, I was able to take part in a First Friday event downtown where I live in Bend, OR as the featured event at my local Japanese story, Wabi Sabi. And, it went sooo well! I can’t believe it actually. A good few of my books on inventory were sold, and we’re already just about 50% funded towards my initial goal!

Hitting that first goal will literally skyrocket my ability to provide you with waaaay more content to help you immerse into the World of Eotera. As you may have seen from the Sneak Peeks I’ve already shared with you all, there’s quite a bit I want to show you! But, only if you want to see it all, too.

Check out some of the sneak peaks here:

• Uhldranya
• Mt. Hakone
• Linwood Theta
• Strawberry Fields of Nyuhanami
•  

I hope to see you over on the Kickstarter, my friend!

Until next time . . .

Stay strange!

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

My goodness!

The Kickstarter Launch for my Visitor Guide to Eotera is literally next week! I’m really starting to get kind of nervous for it all, honestly . . .

But!

I still want to give you a couple more Sneak Peeks before the big day of Jan. 4th, 2019!

For today’s little snoop, I’m bringing you another image from the land of Tsukiame:

The Strawberry Fields of Nyuhanami.

Pictured above is just a tiny example of what amounts to almost 70% of Eotera’s strawberries! As you may safely assume, these delicious red fruits are one of Tsukiame’s main exports, and a rather large part of the economic health of this country.

Taking advantage of the naturally mild climate in the inner lands, the Fields of Nyuhanami can churn out literal tons of strawberries almost non-stop throughout each and every year! During the mid-spring, when the white flowers bloom and spread all across the country side, it sometimes looks just like snow has delicately fallen upon the villages and their farms. Which definitely adds a unique characteristic to this area, as the farmers tend to wear very traditional clothing when working.

While strawberries are found in other areas of Eotera, none are as red nor as big as the ones found here. It is not unusual to pick strawberries straight from the vine that are almost as large as apples!

—

There is so, so much more to see and learn about Eotera!

I hope you’ll be a part of it.

Check out the preview to my Kickstarter here:

https://kck.st/2DmbnO9

Then, see you during Launch next week!

Thanks, friend.

The post Visitor Guide to Eotera Sneak Peek: Strawberry Fields of Nyuhanami appeared first on EOTERA.

Dude. 

I’m just so seriously excited about my Visitor Guide to Eotera Kickstarter launching in a few weeks that I just can’t contain myself with these sneak peeks! 

For so long I’ve had this world of Eotera stuck in my head, and that’s where that idea had always stayed. But now, seeing this world come into life and start to take shape in real life is something I just have a hard time expressing with words. It’s truly inspiring to finally be at a point where these things seem to be coming together. 

So, with this sneak peek, I give you: Mt. Hakone! 

This mountain is the largest singular peak on the continent of Tsukiame, a land famed for its strawberry fields, gourmet foods, and the most breathtaking of luminescent butterflies. 

Topping out at just over 16,000′, Mt. Hakone stands alone in the middle of a vast flatland where innumerable amounts of wildflowers bloom. At very few key points in the year during these blooms, the clouds surrounding this mountain will reflect a shade of pink due to the sheer mass of flower petals and pollen. This makes this event a true once-in-a-lifetime experience to witness . . . as long as you have your allergy meds handy! 

In the Visitor Guide to come, you’ll learn much more about Tsukiame and the countless wonders there. 

The Kickstart project launches on Jan. 4th, 2019! 

Until the official take-off, you can check out the Preview and leave feedback HERE.

Stay strange, strangers! 

The post Visitor Guide to Eotera Sneak Peek: Mt. Hakone appeared first on EOTERA.

Hey stranger!

I made another sneak peek for you.

As you may already know, I’m working hard on getting a Visitor Guide to Eotera Kickstarter going this coming Jan. 2019. 

In this Visitor Guide, I am hoping to provide you with a very in depth look into my world of Eotera, where all the happenings from Maiden in Disguise occur. Part of the fun of doing it this way, is that I get to walk you through so many different places, the history of this planet, as well as the multitudes of strange new locales. 

And, of course, I couldn’t get to launching this project without showing a little bit more of little Eli’s home of Linwood Theta, a decent sized coastal city of the Allied Nation States. One of the things I really want to do in the Visitor Guide as well, is provide a map of Linwood Theta so that you can see where Eli happens to live in comparison to her school and other locales. 

Plus, with maps of each continent to be provided, you’ll get to see the whole world at large, and understand where things happen as there may be an instance or two where Eli or other characters may need to travel (*wink wink* *hint hint*). 

Anyway, I’d like it if you could visit the preview of my Kickstarter before it launches to provide some feedback. Even if it’s just a “good job,” I’d like to hear what you have to say.

Check it out HERE. 

See you on Launch Day, Jan. 4th, 2019! 

The post Visitor’s Guide to Eotera Sneak Peek: Linwood Theta’s Seaside 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.