Soup the Comic Strip by Alun Clewe
Comic strip for January 14 2024.
PANEL ONE: Tagaidin, God of Daring, comes up behind Erlak and taps him on the shoulder. TAGAIDIN: Hey, Erlak! ERLAK Yaaaaaaah! PANEL TWO: Tagaidin raises his hands soothingly as Erlak turns toward him. TAGAIDIN: Didn't mean to scare you. It's just me. I wanted to see if you wanted to go adventuring again. ERLAK: I know. That's what scared me. PANEL THREE: Wider shot of Erlak and Tagaidin. ERLAK: Tagaidin, have you ever been in love? PANEL FOUR: Close on Tagaidin. TAGAIDIN: I remember three centuries ago when I fell in love with Alukele, Goddess of Rubies. PANEL FIVE: Erlak looks down and starts talking, but Tagaidin keeps on with his own story, paying no attention to him. ERLAK: Well, the reason I ask is — TAGAIDIN: Fair she was as the jewels she presided over, and her voice was as clear and as beautiful as a pure crystal tone. PANEL SIX: Inset of Alukele, Goddess of Rubies, a goddess with red eyes, hair, and dress. PANEL SEVEN: Side view of Erlak and Tagaidin. ERLAK: Uh, yeah, well, that's really interesting, but I — TAGAIDIN: But in order to see Alukele I had to get permission from her father, Kukela, God of the Mountains. PANEL EIGHT: Flashback of Tagaidin and Alukele standing in front of Kukela. Current Tagaidin's face is shown transparent in the upper right. TAGAIDIN: Kukela set me three tasks before I could be with his daughter. PANEL NINE: We see Erlak and Tagaidin again. ERLAK: You see, I'm in love with — TAGAIDIN: The first task was to retrieve the Heart of Earth from the distant plane of Kinori. PANEL TEN: We see a collection of weird mechanical monsters. TAGAIDIN (off panel): Guarded by strange and terrible mechanical creatures, the Heart of Earth had lain there for endless epochs, untouched by man or god. PANEL ELEVEN: Erlak looks at Tagaidin resignedly, while Tagaidin still keeps talking. ERLAK: Remind me not to ask you any more questions, 'kay? TAGAIDIN: I knew alone even I could never attain the Heart. And so I went about to gather a group of staunch companions...
January 14 2024

I'd forgotten about the screaming faces on Tagaidin's sword hilt. Huh. One might ask are they alive, and my answer would be the same as I would give to a similar question about the faces on Drv'dxx's elbows, which is... maybe?