==>

Apr 202011

crepuscularDissembler wrote:

Katia, you still need to get to deliver the letter. You may end up disappointing everyone but you could at least avoid causing trouble for them. Getting that to Kvatch is the least you can do at this point. You can cry and walk at the same time, so get going.

ShadowoftheLotus wrote:

Tomorrow will come, a bright new day. And what may come with it could be bad or good. But regardless of what may come, it too shall pass. Accept that these things will happen, and continue to move on with your life. Pursue your goals, but always hold it in mind that you might not reach them. This does not lessen their pursuit or make it somehow less worthwhile. Value your peace of mind.

The_Codfish wrote:

Be STRONG, Kat. Life is hard, yes, but it’s better than being dead. Just keep doing your best until you can’t any longer. Even if you fail, it’s better do so knowing that you did your absolute best all the way than to know that you succumbed to the worst aspects of your character.

Znex wrote:

Yes; if you really are concerned about your best worse than everyone’s average, then train yourself up. After all, no one became heroes overnight, amirite?

Ganelon wrote:

Now, ditch the wine, get up, and find the road. I think you’ve had enough of an experience already.

Squiggles wrote:

No no no. You don’t want to drink that Katia. Last time we had a mishap you drank and it made things worse. You’re trying to recover from alcoholism, not continue. You said so yourself you have a problem with it. Throw the bottle away. If nothing else you can say you did that.

MagicHats wrote:

.This was a bit of adventure, albeit a really bad one, being sad and mopey will only make things worse, C’mon you just gotta get up and keep going on that quest with the letter, it’ll both at least keep your mind off of the depression and think about the reward you’d get.

You understand that this is the wrong thing to do. People in your position are supposed to be strong and persevere; throw down their bottles and keep on trucking through whatever hurdles wind up in their path. You understand that every fable of redemption says you can make a life-changing choice right here and keep on bounding toward Kvatch. You understand all this, you really do.

But you just don’t think you have that in you. Not everyone can be a hero like in the stories. Every failure you’re supposed to bravely shrug off instead grips your heart in a cold embrace that just makes you want to curl up in a ball and never move again. You want to change, you really do, but you’ve come to accept that it can’t be done. Some things are just a part of people and they never go away no matter how hard that person tries to fix it.

It just happens that everything about you is a problem. And all you can do about it is keep being you.

TheFinalWraith wrote:

Though before you take that drink Katia, would you mind telling us what your birth name is? The one you were called back in your home country?
Because… I think it might be for the best if you went back to using it.
I mean, you gave yourself the name Katia Managan to symbolize starting anew didn’t you?
But… I have the suspicion that you’ve been in this place many times before.

The question strikes a nerve.

You know your real name, yet it feels foreign to you. You try to say it out loud, but you can’t.

You’re Katia Managan. It’s an identity you made up two days ago, but it already feels like… you.

For some reason, you’re just not ready to give the name up. Maybe you’re not too different from who you were before, but that doesn’t mean you’re the same person. Sure, you’ve tried to change in the past, tried to turn your life around, but you’ve never been Katia Managan. Katia Managan has been a screwup for two days, not two decades. Katia Managan still has a chance.

You don’t expect anyone to understand what it means for you to be Katia Managan. It changes everything. When you left home and came to Cyrodiil, it wasn’t just the epilogue to a long, sad story. It was the prequel to something undefined. It was a new story, too young for anyone to predict the ending. Sure, maybe the protagonist isn’t very skilled and has a drinking problem, but she’s only been around for two days. Who knows what will happen.

You don’t know if you think you can change. You don’t really know what you think at all. Maybe that’s why you drink: it makes things simpler.

You’re sorry, but you have to do this. This is a choice you are making as Katia Managan and no one else. You know it’s not a good idea, and that you might very well die. You just don’t care. At least you think you don’t. You don’t even know anymore. You’re a mess.

You don’t know how this is going to end, but that’s still better than knowing there awaits a sad ending.

Bottoms up. See you again soon, you think you hope.

Well, you’re alive.

> Katia: Assess situation

TheEggKing

That’s it. I’m done with this horseshit. I’m convinced that the author is just an artfag with an idea for an extended troll. Every fucking time we suggest ANYTHING GOOD OR SENSIBLE she ignores it or emos it away. But the FEW SINGULAR TIMES we suggest anything bad or even make a pun it immediately becomes part of the plot. The author is absolutely determined to keep this character as pathetic as possible with no chance of salvation or redemption in spite of all the good advice we’ve given her. Fuck Katia and fuck the conductor of this railroad story.
- Terumitsu
  
  To those who are of this sentiment at this point in the story, this is technically where Rock Bottom is.
  
  Things start turning up from this point.
  - ptmc2112
    
    It’s true!
  - Rodrigo
    
    Unless they start digging.
    - Actua
      
      I’ve seen that. It’s not pretty…unless they have a loved one to pull them back and smack some sense into them.(usually literally) Then its pretty awesome.
    - Djinnfest
      
      *mining
  - Snaffle
    
    But then, things get horrible again.
  - Aurabolt
    
    I agree with you, sir, but not enough to stop reading. The point is, we’re literally watching someone destroy themselves. And there’s supposed to be accomplishment in any story and character development, not constant steps back. This is seriously screwed up, and people who are allowing this to continue without trying to make commands that help her are simply instigating it.
    - Woodledude
      
      Honestly, though, the thing that makes this story unique is the fact that it’s not just very tragic, but very realistic. SPOILER WARNING: Since the beginning of this story, and from this point on as well, Katia has been and continues to be dragging herself out of a traumatic past and a previous life that delivers very little hope for her. In real life, that’s not an easy thing to do. You walk by a homeless person, there’s a reason they’re sitting on the road, they’re not always (or even typically) just lazy, even if circumstance makes them so by robbing them of hope. Really, Katia has been very lucky considering her current situation, and she’s doing a lot better than most people would be in her shoes, even if she doesn’t realize it. Despite everything, she still has standards (at least when she’s sober), and she still regards herself above a ditch-dwelling sob story, at least in her actions if not in her mind. She hasn’t given up, and she finds ways to keep trying, which, realistically, is an example of amazing resolve and perseverance. SPOILER: After one of her later dreams, she talks about how she’s no stranger to evisceration and annihilation in the dream world, and that’s really a very traumatic thing to be going through for most of a person’s life. So yeah, it isn’t a happy story, but it’s not like it’s ridiculous in realistic standards. And besides, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
      
      Anyway, /rant, I suppose. Sorry for the wall of text.
      - Woolie
        
        Because things setting themselves ablaze when some disembodied voice makes a cat joke is realistic. DayZ alpha had fewer bugs than this.
- Jebediah Oldenheimer
  
  lol, u mad bro?
  
  …I’m mad too.
- Wytsfs
  
  I think Katias’ problems dealing with her alcoholism are actually quite realistic. It’s a simple sad truth: sometimes when things get rough, even though they know they shouldn’t, even with the support of friends and family and government sponsored programs, an alcoholic will still give in to the temptation to drink. Sure Katia knows it’s a bad idea. She’s even willing to admit that to herself. But she has a long history of substance abuse and no one to support her efforts to kick her addiction. No, Quill-Weave does not count. At this point she’s known Quill for an hour or so at best. The players don’t count as support either.
  
  Also, the players have more influence than you might think. For instance, it was a player decision to keep that money she got from Gro-upp a secret. If they had told Quill-Weave instead that whole robbery thing might have been avoided.
  - Bigglesworth
    
    It was also multiple players’ suggestions that she /not fucking drink/.
    
    Why is it that she /just happens/ to have alcohol all the time? That’s the writer’s decision. It couldn’t be potions of courage? It couldn’t have been, I don’t know, coins? Water? Juice? Milk?
    
    It’s intentional, and the writer here clearly has a train track he/she wants to stay on. I just wish they wouldn’t try to make it seem like we have much choice.
    - Alex
      
      There’s no water, juice or milk in any Elder Scrolls game. It’s all booze, all the time.
      - Periless_Paradigm
        
        Booze and mead. Oh and skooma..but thats not any better..in fact, its probably worse.
- sillypiggy
  
  Its only been two days. You expect her life to turn around by then? You don’t understand how character development works.
  - Aurabolt
    
    Yeah, actually, I think we do. When you read a story, you don’t come in with a character that simply does nothing and only harms themselves. There’s more to development than watching someone hurt themselves over and over and over and get screwed over and over and over. There’s depth. There’s growth into a person who changes and evolves and takes responsibility.
    
    The fact that the writer and the players are not allowing her to get better is part of the blame here. They’re the ones who are deciding to watch Katia wallow and suffer without any growth. None of you care.
    - NoriMori
      
      And thus you prove that you not only *don’t* understand how character development works, you also are incapable of comprehending, even after being reminded, that character development doesn’t just happen, and people don’t just turn their lives around, in two days. Sure, that *can* happen in a story, but just because it doesn’t, doesn’t mean no character development is happening, or that no story is happening.
- Zephyr
  
  Hey yo, stop hating.
- Katia Managan
  
  This terrible comment went through a time-warp to the future, burn comment BURN and never return!
  - Katia Managan
    
    Oh… and for anyone who doesn’t understand, I am referring to what Wytsfs said, the same comment has been used in a future update of the comic. http://www.prequeladventure.com/2012/04/1869/#comment-7940
    - Nameloc
      
      I came here to say this 😛
- Jacob English
  
  May I remind you the whole reason all the wine bottles broke was because a reader said so? If he followed all the commands, not only would the story be boring, but katia would probably be worse off.
- seelcudoom
  
  the problem is this is a prequal to oblivion
  you start oblivion with nothing but rags, basic skills in knowing how to use a weapon, and 2 basic spells
  we cant have her progress to much
- KC
  
  I’m starting to feel the same way :/
- Erik
  
  ….and fuck you too!
  
  Go back to your fairy-tale, you conformist bastard!
  
  (Seriously though, fuck off)
- CynicalZombie
  
  If you think the whole story will be like this, you’re more pathetic than Katia.
- manarim
  
  No-one’ll miss you. 😉
Anonymous

i like her tears too much
dow

“Well, you’re alive”

Are you sure about that?
The Muse

“Hello, Is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear me. Is there anyone home? Come on, now, I heard you’re feeling, down But I can ease the pain; Get you on your feet again. Ok. I need some information, first. Just the basic facts. Can you show me where it hurts?”

“There is no pain, you are reseeding. I distant ship’s smoke on the horizon. You are only coming through in waves. Your lips move, but I can’t hear what you’re saying. When I was a child, I caught a fleeting glimpse, out of the corner of my eye. I turned to look, but it was gone. I cannot put my finger on it now. The child is grown, the dream is gone. I have become, comfortably numb.”

“Ok. Just a little pinprick. There’ll be no more- AAAaaaaa but you may feel a little sick. Can you stand up? I do believe it’s working, good. That’ll keep you going for the show. Come on, it’s time to go……” (c) Pink Floyd, Comfortably Numb from The Wall
TechUnadept

Skeleton: OH SHIT IT WON`T COME OFF!!!
SlyTheFoxx

Above comment made me lol X3
Cabadath

This look like its from the chzo mythos games
- Tormuse
  
  It hurts.
Bigglesworth

Man, it feels like I’m reading a playthrough of Rameses. Horribly frustrating.
Gaz

Whelp I’m out! See you shits on the flipside!
Cassandra

Wow people are babies. o.o
Go write your own happy boring story with no rock bottom parts and everything is flowery and cuddly the whole way through.
Neon

Well then, it turned out to be a good thing she painted on a bra and some underwear.. xD
As for all the hating; interactive or not, it is still is the authors story isn’t it? And truthfully, I’m kinda thankful the Author has an idea of where she wants to go; if she didn’t, this story would most likely hit a dead end fast.. just sayin. And if you don’t like it, why don’t you write your own interactive story? I’m not being mean, or sarcastic or anything, I just really would like to see how everyone would do their own story, and the problem of balancing following peoples commands to keep them happy and keeping it interesting, also to keep them happy.. and hopefully they’ll appreciate the author a little bit more..
On a side note this message was a whole lot longer then I meant xD I was originally just going to comment on the paint undergarment and stay out of the arguments all together, butttt.. ._.
patrick

there is no doubt that this is fucking depressing. but i am okay with that for now. like some are saying, it has only been two days. i am interested to see where this goes all that same.
Dan

Honestly, I love this story. As emo as this sounds, this story isn’t sad at all to me because I’ve been through even worse than Katia has. I don’t understand why you idiots are so frustrated.
Woundedkneecap

A certain family guy clip rings a bell (the one about titles showing up in the story)

I’m re-reading it all, missed a lot of small things… Maybe it’s the pictures, I just rush through skimming through text. This may have pictures, but this needs to be treated like text story. You still build emotion attachment to Katia regardless, but to really see her motives and causes of her feelings you need to read carefully… Poor katia, I guess
Tech

Maybe i should get a little high… *toke* [really shit idea]
-Towleee
George

katia back to life, =D
Worm Anchorite

Hey, that looks like my place!
Rik

I have no problem with the character being a failure. She reminds me of me. Not much as far as redeeming qualities. That’s what I like. At points when most stories would turn around and have the character become a wonderful hero, she fails again. It makes me feel better about myself that there is someone- even a story character- like me. Of course I won’t have a problem if/when Katia turns herself around, but I love how she is right now.
zee

For those of you who have read ahead, is there any point in continuing to follow this?

I have a cat here at home, I could watch her be relentlessly mistreated without any respite if I wanted to but I’d find that sickening and enraging rather than entertaining.

Also kind of pissed because this was advertised to me as a comic that readers had input in and it is so clearly on the rails it might as well not even give the illusion of accepting “commands”. Poor Katia would be vastly better off if even if the author used a dice roll to choose instead of cherry picking the worst possible options every single time.

A character can’t even be said to be hitting ‘rock bottom’ when they haven’t even been allowed a single step up at any point in the entire story. I’m seeing absolutely zero depth and development here.
- zee
  
  Okay, a day later and I will now answer my own question. It does get better. It could very likely all come crashing down again in the worst possible way, but at least for a time, it becomes worth reading again, almost immediately past this point.
  
  I still think the author made a mistake in repeatedly kicking his protagonist for waaaay too long right out of the gate, but if you’re like me, read straight through from the beginning to this point until you were just too emotionally exhausted to care anymore and ready to walk away in disgust, KEEP READING, at least until the end of the dinner party.
Tigersong

Yo, the profanity isn’t funny. Please try and keep that sort of stuff in your head.
Svetlana

Does anyone else realize shes gonna get slaughtered by daedra? And get turned into a sack of flesh? Kvatch got owned by the daedra and shes level 2…
- Uknown
  
  Hey i defeated the daedra when i was level 1
Patrick

You had one fucking job Katia.

ONE FUCKING JOB.
Godel Fishbreath

Some dude over on facebook has her with a disquiting permanent injury. This ends up with pity and suspence.
I learned of this comic via his posts.
Bewarethecarpenter

REALLY was hoping she would be strong here.
MentallyUnstable

Well…

That was bullshit.

Tied for worse update since last time this worthless bitch gave in and slept with an orc.

And I had such hope for her too.
dtlux14

Well, ok then…