So, Now that this big, confusing lore scene is over – I’m sure you’ve got some questions. I will do my best to answer the ones I can that aren’t spoilers.

1. Who were Theo, Andromeda, and Octavian talking to, exactly?

Well, this is a weird one and has a LOT of in universe deep lore behind it, bu it’s important so I will try to keep things at least somewhat succinct: Basically one of the setting’s equivalent of gods. They don’t behave like gods in the traditional sense. The Iterator (as I will refer to them from now on) is more akin to a biologist using the earth as a terrarium-equivalent, and simply alters pre-existing lifeforms, often on a very small scale, and observes how they respond and behave differently to their environment.  Often times these changes are on very few creatures at a time, and always exist with both a positive, and a negative as to it, perfection is boring, as once something is perfect it cannot be improved and as such loses a purpose in its eyes. It doesn’t influence the species it modifies in any massive sweeping way, and its changes can vary from “what would happen if a species of moth was bioluminescent” to the whole “humans with psychic powers” deal. Its actions and morality don’t really work in human terms, it’s best seen from the eyes of an immortal being that wants to find something to do in that immortality.

2. What’s Andromeda’s backstory, in more detail? Who was the girl? Why was this not in the story before?

Andromeda was separated from her parents at a young age. There’s no canon reason how or why – my personal reason was for her own safety, due to the whole “carrying on the lineage” thing magical families are rather obsessive over – but its up to you, ultimately. Regardless of the reasoning, eventually, around a half-year prior to the comic, she managed to track them down, and returned to live with them. They were then killed by the Lady in White, while Andromeda had snuck out to her girlfriend’s house for the night. As such, afterwards Andromeda returned to be with the group, and has a lot of survivor guilt and bad memories associated with said girlfriend. As for why it wasn’t ever in the story before this, there’s two reasons. First, I couldn’t find a good place to fit it in, largely because of reason two: Andromeda is largely quite shy. This lore has existed for… pretty much since she was introduced, but Andromeda doesn’t like to talk about it. As Kat has said, it hurts to remember.

3. Why did the iterator choose Theo, but not Andromeda to get the power they both wanted?

Simply put, it comes down to the non-human morality of the Iterator. The Iterator is a being that cannot die – it is more of a cosmic force than a physical consciousness – and as such, asking why a mortal being wishes to survive, even on a basic survival instinct level, is something it inherently doesn’t totally have the capability to grasp. It knew Andromeda was being truthful, and understood her reasons for wanting to survive, it did not truly comprehend them. On the other hand, Theo’s desire to learn and discover the answers to questions he has is something it can absolutely comprehend, and is not far removed from its own desires. The iterator is a being that has endless questions about the way the a being would react to a change of its biology, so it sees Theo’s desire for knowledge as a motive “above” that of a simple organic love, because it is something it can truly comprehend and accept as a relatable answer. To put things simply: It picked Theo over Andromeda because it has similar desires, and admires someone of like minds.

4. Why did the iterator choose to curse magic-wielders with the downsides to their powers?

I personally have flip-flopped on this one myself, and struggle to make up my mind. The three answers are what Akila said, though – it is either a punishment for the mages desiring the power for their own gains, and possibly just lying about their true motives when asking, because it felt giving them the abilities without fault was something they were unworthy of, or as the natural counterbalance to the abilities to stop them from just being “humans, but better or equal in every way.” But, again, as Akila said, the motives of the iterator don’t translate into human morality very well, and at the end of the day, the result is the same. You can choose whatever you feel fits best, all I ask is to remember the iterator is functionally without emotion, and is neither good, nor evil. There are things it values, but it is so removed from the life it modifies that it may as well be not life at all in its eyes. It simply exists, and does, like an incredibly advanced computer program.

5. Why/how did Akila know the iterator exists? Why did she only speak about its existence now?

Akila knows a lot of things, many of which she is the only being in human contact to know. She is an attractive young woman, and takes pride in that, but is not above using that appearance to make people assume less of her. She is, without question, the most knowledgeable, and powerful character in the comic, barring the iterator itself – but revealing too much of her… inhumanity would make her… rather unsettling to have around, in the eyes of the people she cares for. Additionally, some things she knows she herself is not meant to, and sharing them would naturally put her and those she shares them with in danger. The Iterator’s existence would do both. Simply put, she acts less inhuman because she is among humans, but knows when to drop the formality and show herself as the being that she truly is: Human in appearance and behavior only.

There is a LOT more about Akila’s natural “partly human, partly not” I could talk about, but I will save that for another day, but as a bit of an appetizer: Akila’s morality and beliefs are changing as she spends more time among humans, becoming more like that of the humans she lives with, not unlike how an immigrant becomes part of a culture that was once foreign to them over time. She is aware of this, and is scared by it.

Anyway, see you next week. I’m out of the frying pan and into the fire, art wise, so wish me luck on the upcoming battle scene. Do be aware that action and movement is probably the single hardest thing for me to draw and be happy with, so… delays are a very likely thing, but I’d rather do it right than have the art not look dynamic.