Well, that was kind of ironic. I just got done explaining about the delays in the comic, and got so sick I couldn’t leave my apartment for the past two weeks! It was unpleasant to say the least, but I’m feeling a lot better now. So onto the comic at hand: I’m sure you’re wondering, “Why baikal?” or even “What the heck is Lake Baikal?” So I will explain! Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, formed at where two continental plates meet, even having geothermal vents near the bottom. It freezes over completely in winter, and has a lot of unique kinds of flora and fauna. As for why… well, for one, its always a place I’ve thought was cool. It’s a location thats stayed in the comic since very early drafts – though the reason the characters travel there HAS changed – but I feel its remoteness, but also uniqueness, makes it a good candidate for a place where weird magic stuff could “realistically” happen. It’s not quite as remote as it’ll appear in the comic – people do travel there as tourists, and I hope to someday – but its still in Siberia. Also, I had a lot of fun drawing that map, and I think that last panel is one of the best drawings of Akila I’ve ever done. 6 years in, and I still struggle with her eyes.