The Cartomancer Kett Baba Visits the Spectrum Palace (Patreon)

Recently, the voyageur decant Kett received back into his supernumeral polity the dividual drone become cartomancer Kett Baba. Though there was some kerfuffle about "maintaining an adrift existence, separate from the [burbling mind-mass] joyous unity of Kett", the other dividual drones of Kett reabsorbed Kett Baba until he was only Kett once more.

Some disturbing leftovers, not suitable for the peace-of-existence of the Kett unity were given over to the [servant-rat-venerable-cockroach] Joh-Joh for sale at the Ruins Azure. These included:

• seven sets of non-uniform clothing (no dividual needs anything but a house-printed chitin loincloth in the rainful lands Blue).

• a personalized anti-unity amulet with an incomprehensible inscription ("in loving memory, Sa'an Baba").

• a set of privacy generators (keys and locks are not required in the Kett unity).

• six pairs of socks (socks are an abomination in the eyes of the founding Kett mind).

• an electric mule (the flesh mule was absorbed into the Kett unity).

• an incomprehensible brain-eating jewel (the personality absorbers of the atomized adrifters are revolting to the Kett unity).

• four journals of mad scribblings (expressing emotions that the unity does not require).

• a symbiotic self-sustained environment suit (interferes with unity protocols).

• and a useless map of a region far outside the acceptable range of the Kett unity (it is assumed that Kett Baba was abducted by bandits and used as a porter until he developed an inappropriate adrift existence).

Joh-Joh returned to the Kett unity six days later, having sold the leftovers for an astonishing two-thousand four-hundred and sixty-five units. Per contract, Joh-Joh kept a fifth of the revenue and received another year's worth of Kett Authentic anti-parasite medication.

Apparently the map was seen as valuable by the novel authorities in the Ruins Azure. The Kett unity gurgled at this folly and returned to its very important self-absorption.

Hello, Heroes!

The ear is round the bend, it's near the end, it's almost gone and done and dusted.

I'd been sure I'd get the VLG done these last two weeks, but, well ... newborn baby. Daughter One seems happy with Daughter Two, Hound Dog is happy that Dear Wife is home and well. Everyone is healthy and I am quite tired. I'll say—that's the best I could ask for.

Next few weeks are going to be around figuring out a routine: food, diapers, showers, beds, baths, beyonds... that kind of stuff.

Crucially, it's going to take a while for me to get the kind of big chunks of time to do anything outside of the guidebook and then OGA, but I do want to do some small things completely disconnected from the big work.

The TSKNS is one such thing, but sometimes even that might be more than I can really manage ... yet I have the strong desire to keep making some new stuff. Even if my mind is a potato, incapable of focusing on editing or layout or careful writing, I like to draw.

Even as a kid, I found maps actively soothing.

So, I'm gonna try and mix that—experiments in mapping—with something y'all might enjoy. These worlds of mine (and others you might want to see mapped).

I dunno—maybe this'll be fun feature!

I've put up for a vote some maps folks suggested they'd like to see on the Discord (7-day link as of 24.12.30: https://discord.gg/EmHsMNh6). You can suggest others here (or there). Heck, I'm even open to style suggestions.

Ok, I'm off to check on the diapers now. This is probably the last post before the Eve of Saint Sylvester. Shockingly I already have a piece ready for then ...

Take care and see you on the precipice of the Year of the Green Snake!

—Luka