–>

Aug 082012

If you can see this text, then you might want to check this update out on the original site (or enable JavaScript!)

DestinedFateX wrote:

Carefully descend the strange stair case. Something could be waiting to be seen by your eyes at the bottom, for your eyes only.

Coldmute wrote:

Well, little Khajiit, looks like you get to have your first adventure. Don’t fret, just head on down the stairs and see what awaits.

Lerigonith wrote:

Take the stairs, little one. Take the stairs, and don’t look back.

Ghnaggi wrote:

Don’t go on!
Go back while you still can.

Professor Zobot wrote:

Well, Ma’Khajiit, you have two options here: Either Descend that staircase, or go back to bed and take a nap. Which would you choose?

Dr. Abacus wrote:

Go further, and do not worry. You will be going deeper into yourself.

Grey Acumen wrote:

Cast Magic Missile at the Darkness.

Zaffa wrote:

Descend in a calm fashion. Do not gaze into the void.

K’helt wrote:

Ma’Khajiit: those stairs look conspicuous, let the Gaur go down first to check it’s safety.

It Was A … wrote:

Descend confidently.

contemptibleComedian wrote:

Use dream powers to life-size your stuffed Guar and ride him like a mechanical bull down the steps

Arkanius wrote:

Trip, drop everything.

panoz wrote:

woooot for expecting jquery whizbangery …. I really do hope you are using cut and paste animations as drawing every frame must take eons and you should have a set of js functions to call to whenever you need something to move remember use vars and data-something= statements then you can have flying whizzy divs everywhere.

I wonder what katia thinks of the above command

Additional resource credits:
Ch’marr – crazy javascript/CSS witchcraft

> –>

Finrandojin

What is this Sorcery?
- AthiosDvK
  
  This…. This is amazing. I have no words. Just… By the Nine…
  - Zennmaster
    
    you said it, my friend. This is so awesome! By the Nine, this is beter than 3D.
    - Ch’marr
      
      In the next instalment, young Katia reaches out of the screen and beats you over the head with her Guar plush.
    - Spatzist
      
      Putting this here so others see it:
      
      If you scroll up at certain steps, you’ll see different comments. As you scroll down, you see katia’s reaction to them.
      
      On-topic: This is insanely awesome.
      - NoriMori
        
        I didn’t realize this. I just tried this and holy crap. I already thought this page was amazing. I think my head just exploded.
      - Aulakauss
        
        I just came back to reread the awesomes (and replay the games; I missed Stripper Hero in Kvatch the first time around).. I was mystified by this at first, but.. Reading the commands, then watching her squint in confusion or clutch her little guar closer, -which might I add got an audible ‘D’aww’ from me- made this more than just a neat bit of page wizardry. It gave me feels. THE BEST FEELS.
        
        Thanks for posting that Zennmaster and for bringing to top of page for me to see, Spatzist.
    - Dreadmaster231
      
      I have to say, this is pretty much my avorite page in the entire of what i’ve read so far, heres hoping to more cool shet!
  - Lt Fox Fire
    
    Anyone else notice that if you stop and scroll back up, she also stops and looks back up?
    - BestTeaMaker
      
      Came here to say this
    - DeanCota
      
      Yes indeed. Quite a beautiful addition to this wonderful and creepy page. It changes every lantern or so.
      - FiveForty
        
        It seems to change every step actually, and Katia will react to some comments when you scroll back down, giving a wtf face or hugging the Guar plush. I found it best to use the arrow keys, it gives a trippy effect when you scroll too(as opposed to generally scrolling with the mouse-wheel).
- Pecon
  
  Slenderman is hiding back there, make sure you have $20.
  - easyd
    
    No wifin’ in the club.
    - Sir_Knight_of_Lights
      
      Wife at ALL the clubs!
      - lol
        
        All of them.
- Dovahkiin spirit
  
  ahhh alas, you have ventured into your first dream of royalty
  you have the dovah blood, my friend
clowndude

The King of Shadow returens once again
- Troll
  
  Returens…
  
  Returens…
Kazerad

Just a heads up for everyone on this comment section: if it’s not clear, Ch’marr is the one who has been doing all the javascript and CSS stuff. Tables and BR tags are pretty much the extent of my website coding abilities, and if you look into some of the older site code this might be somewhat evident.
- Stale Eyez
  
  This person is blowing my mind. I can’t even handle this. It’s just… so… MAGICAL!
  - Skuggi
    
    wow. just wow.
  - Thornclaw
    
    *Faints*
- kdaver
  
  Holy shit that was good!
  - FinalGamer
    
    Holy…shit this is…scarily-brilliant!, Ch’marr is a WIZARD of coding.
    - Cerapa
      
      Truly a master of the art of technowizardry.
    - OldSchoolRPGDude
      
      Seconded! Excellent production, many thanks to both of you!
- Ch’marr
  
  A big note to everyone that has, and will, give me kind comments for the JS-work: Thank you, each and every one of you! It was a tonne of work and late nights (I have a paid job, too), and in the end it was a hugely rewarding experience to contribute to something so loved.
  
  Maybe there’ll be more in the future but… not today… not right this minute 🙂
  - Music-chan
    
    WITCHCRAFT!
    
    But seriously, awesome bit of coding there. 😀
  - The Dragonborne
    
    That… was epic. I truly wasn’t expecting that when I scrolled down.. Truly brilliant work 🙂
    
    Loooks like we’re at the bottom of the stairs Katia.. maybe try to Illuminate the room so we can have a better look at you?
  - VekErro
    
    BURN THE WITC- I mean awesome work there, dude.
- Vallorn
  
  Send him our hugs. All of them.
  
  This Web Adventure is just blowing my mind every update now…
Aaron

You may not go any deeper…
Nathan

Holy cow that was so cool! Definitely worth the wait! How did you do that!?
panoz

damn that is really well done.
MissMegaLoathe

I don’t’ even…. Wow…
Anonymous

Awwwwww shit.
panoz

this needs sound effects added

Kaz do you know any sound effects guys?
panoz

over 700 lines of js and jquery. I tip my hat to you sir.

I really hope this comic never ends I really want to see what you do using full 3d transforms here.
- panoz
  
  looks like I tip my hat to ch’marr
  
  and Kaz keep up the awesome animations
Rumrush

Okay move on over Hussie Kaz just raise the bar in webcomic interaction.
- BTYM
  
  Raised the bar? That bar is in out-fucking-space, man
  - Kal
    
    That bar just fucking landed on Mars.
    - Rexono
      
      The bar is now taking motherfucking photos this shit is wickity wickity whack
      - Vallorn
        
        The bar has just met Martians and is now plotting a takeover of earth with their backing.
      - Ankoku
        
        The bar just changed side when it realized that where it came from!
      - Kathi With An I
        
        The bar just sacrificed itself in an act of redemption to save humanity from the Martian invasion.
      - Smoky
        
        Hey guys, you know what happened to-
        C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER!!!!
      - Sir_Knight_of_Lights
        
        That bar is killing time by baking rocks and making sarcastic comments on twitter!
      - Lau O
        
        I, for one, welcome our new bar overlord.
        
        Seriously you guys, this was fantastic. Amazing. My mind is shattered.
Ice

Wow, amazing! Certainly worth the wait. Can’t wait to see what’s next! I have that feeling every new page though…
Strikervulsine

Wow.

I’m sure you want even see this but I just had to make an account and say that it’s amazing how you took this from just drawings to games and now this.

This is art.
- Kazerad
  
  I saw this ;P. Thank you, I appreciate it.
JimPlaysGames

That was astonishingly awesome.
Kaze’aze

Your div id for this is “horrorbox”? Don’t know about horrifying, but more like creepy and cool. Nice update.
- Chet Betera
  
  The div id is for those things that curl at the side. ~~I assume.~~ I know.
Skippy

Was that a little Tonberry reference right at the end there? Nice.
- xKiv
  
  *Royal* tonberry, right?
- Cyph
  
  I noticed that too. Probably helps that I played FFVIII recently 😛
Ankoku

Oh my, let hope it’s not to scary…. what happens next
also great job on the java thing Ch’marr it was really cool
like REALLLY COOOOOL
can’t wait to see what comes next
- Ankoku
  
  oh also you to kaz, you’re the greatest!!!
  >feel proud
- Ch’marr
  
  Thank you!
  
  What comes next is sleep. OMG. Kaz stays up way too late too, and often the only way to progress is to bounce ideas off each other!
panoz

actually looks like a bit of credit goes to ch’marr
stupidjellyfish

That was fucking intense.
panoz

and scroll up and yet another bit of detail.
- panoz
  
  in fact an entire staircase worth of detail.
  - Kazerad
    
    (Psst, Pan, I appreciate your enthusiasm but please try not to leave so many comments! Most of them are just short replies to yourself, and it’s getting a little spammy.)
    - panoz
      
      I realize that and I cant kill them no edit button. if you want to kill them go ahead.
      - Kazerad
        
        It’s fine, I’d just try to cut down a little in the future!
        
        I probably should add an edit button though. Later, anyway; right now I don’t want to risk introducing any new code that might conflict with the stuff in these last few updates. We already had to edit WordPress a bit to make them display right.
      - panoz
        
        interesting you say wp the company I am starting builds wp sites and now that I look it does look like a wp site. there should simply be a button to turn on editing. …. well doesnt look like there is anything native to it for editing. install this http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-ajax-edit-comments/screenshots/
        
        most of the sites we build are business sites so dont do much with comments but that module should make it work.
- wolf
  
  All I see is that the visibility of the fourth step from the bottom flickers in and out with the fire.
  If that’s what you mean, it hardly compares to having Katia following you down the page, even looking up when you go up instead of down. Oh, and the darkness that escapes the page; pretty sure we haven’t seen that before!
  - wolf
    
    Oh, okay, I see it now.
    - wolf
      
      I love Katia’s quizzical face and her cute, scared clutching at her gaur (based on the commands, as I don’t play The Elder Scrolls).
      And the repeat animation… Kazerad certainly used that, as the same commands come up again. Oh, well, it’s so awesome even without seeing the commands… do we really need to only see them once? (YES, MY DISBELIEF ISN’T PROPERLY SUSPENDED! Still really cool, though.)
      This update was legen– wait for it– dary. Please make each following update equally epic in regards to animation, in proportion to the time between updates.
Bersl

Ch’marr, you wizard-cheetah, you.
Entrophy

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this before. Congratulations Kaz and Ch’marr, you’ve created something new and unique. And it’s fucking amazing. Please don’t stop.
Alan Silverwind

Hmm,In the source code of the page,you can see a LOT of commands and comentaries,but,in the actual comic,i just dont see them
- aaa
  
  Stop in-between scrolling down, and try scrolling up. When you see Katia looking up there should be a new messages above.
  - Alan Silverwind
    
    That´s just awesome,didn´t saw em the first time,never tougth about going back
That Guy

D:

Checklist of odd stuff: Shadowy tentacled thing following in the dark, her shadow is a jagged crown-like shape… the page is made of Java witchcraft. Anything else odd I overlooked? :p
stupidjellyfish

Man, I wish I could do stuff like this. Twenty-years old and no talent at all. 🙁
- Ch’marr
  
  All you need is a drive to explore.
  
  Well, that, and actually doing something about it 🙂
Gix

Stuff like this makes me wish I could use any kind of programming language. 😐

Congrats Ch’marr/Kaz, you blew my mind yet again. I probably wouldn’t have noticed unless I read the comments that scrolling up and down adds more commentaries, nice touch.
SuperGnome

Turn around. I think somebody might be interested in offering you some tasty burgers.
William

so what are all of the suggested comments used here, i saw a couple but didn’t want to miss any
TheNight-Boar

Wooooow! This is so cool! CCS witchcraft indeed O.o

also, looks like a creepy shadowking this way comes
Trance

The shapeless horror lurking in the margins of the page has followed me down to the comments box :O

Okay, so it wasn’t another flash section, but it was still pretty damn cool. Can’t wait for the next bit.
Ellert

That was really, really cool. Keep it up Kaz and everyone who helps him with this comic 🙂
Wargonzola

This is…. beautiful. Thank you for making it.
Ndoto

Holy absolute moly! Kazerad, you and Ch’marr have seriously outdone yourself with this page. Just… incredible!
Eikiji

Holy shit that was really really great! I love everything about this comic! Kazerad, Ch’marr, excellent work guys.
Ransom

Wha!!! It’s in the comments section! Run!
Link

Goddammit xD

You two seem to the a duo made of awesome and divine =D
Keep up the great work you two!
Unclever title

Javascript witchcraft is right! That is downright impressive.
M

Amazing work on this comic, with l’il Katia moving down the stairs as you scroll down, and the ghost-like thing moving to the sides, very creepy. I was expecting something horrible to pop out as I got deeper definitly.

I wonder what’ll happen next…
Lobito

This is the greatest thing in the history of things. I scrolled through the whole thing (back-scrolling constantly for new stuff) with my hand over my agape mouth.
theplunderking

My god! It’s here… does this mean updates will happen faster again now that this socery is done?
- theplunderking
  
  wow, i didn`t even see the wizardry until i saw this on my laptop… i am starting to see why this took so long. i didn`t even know you could do that on a computer 0_o
Official Westbro Baptist Church

WiTCHCRAFT!
Rambo Dash

I ship Kazerad x Ch’marr.
- Weaselsmasher
  
  Ch’marr has the hots for Gilda, so I’m told.
  - Ch’marr
    
    Gilda is totally best pony.
    
    And also, prepare for your timely death! 🙂
Darkguyver2020

That was a pretty impressive use of scripting. But of course, this whole scene will be ruined when Kazerad’s sadist instincts kick in and he needlessly tortures the poor girl once again.
- Ch’marr
  
  Do you realise how many people are going to be refreshing the page and having Katia walk down the stairs… again and again and again and again and again a bajillion times! That’s pretty much torture right there!
  - Darkguyver2020
    
    See! It’s already happening!
    Seriously, Kazerad! When will the cruelty end?! Cut the poor girl some slack, will ya! ಠ_ಠ
- tronn
  
  …this whole scene will be ~~ruined~~ awesome when Kazerad’s sadist instincts kick in and he ~~needlessly~~ delightfully tortures the poor girl once again.
  FTFY
  - Fancypantsman
    
    Ha! This guy. This guy right here!
i saw a squidword on the sides

please let katia leave with some dignity this time. i`m not asking for her to kick the kings ass… just be able to get a decent hit in this time
- Darkguyver2020
  
  This is Kazerad we’re talking about. I’m sure seeing Katia crawling across the floor with her subliminal guts spilling from her torso would actually be more dignified than what he has in store for her.
Sgv

This is quite possible the coolest effect I’ve seen in one of these comics yet.
Niall

Wha-?

Kazerad, I want to use the word “cult” when describing your following, because it’s certainly too small to justify the effort and quality of work that makes up the Prequel Adventure. That is what I think of Prequel. I just wanted you to know that.
- Kazerad
  
  If you think the following is too small, please tell some friends about it!
  
  I’ve actually been having some problems with plagiarism recently; since the comic is relatively unknown, a couple people have been trying to pass it off as their own (and it takes me a while to find out about it and file a DMCA complaint). The more people who know about the comic, the harder it will be for others to get away with passing it off as their own.
  - Fancypantsman
    
    Those basterds! This is yours I tell you! Yours!
dagoth Purr

Holy crap this is awesome!
Stankloid

GAH! This is black magic I say! Kazerad is a witch! Burn him! Burn him!
uber_pye

dawwww

she follows us as we scroll down
Random L Person

It’s absolutely brilliant and totally worth the wait! Thank you so much for making such a wonderful comic; these updates really make my day :D.

… one minor bug to report, though: the last portion of the animation (where the lantern at the base of the steps lights itself) is bugged out on my portrait monitor and is completely inaccessible (screen capture: [link]). This is on Chrome v 21.0.1180.60 m, if it helps.
- Ch’marr
  
  Thanks for the report!! That additional info I has shed some light on a similar problem i was having when testing on my ipad… if the window is very tall (without just “faking” tallness by making it narrow) the browser cant scroll down far enough to trigger that part of the animation. I’ll shoot you an email when I think I’ve put in a suitable fix, okay ?
  - Random L Person
    
    You’re very welcome; testing on every conceivable platform is hard and you deserve all the bug reports you can lay hands on! The email for that last post is for a dummy inbox, though; I’ve sent a message to your contact page address from an account that is checked frequently.
EightZero

Holy shit. Wow. Just wow.

It’s been said before but I don’t care; your work has really evolved. I went back to page one just out of curiosity and man, the difference is astonishing. I really hope you’re making money off of this somehow because I want this story to go on for a long time.
Derp

Dude, that was fucking cool! I have, like, the stupidest grin on my face right now. Major props to you and Ch’marr!
Anonymous-_-

WOW that was so cool, I have never seen anything like this before.
Cu Chaspel

Wow that is amazing keep up the great work 😀
darbish

Take a look around. What has the brazier revealed in the darkness?
- darbish
  
  Doh, just noticed the commands forum.
sefercil

wow. amazing. i love how you guys did this! it’s so cool *o*
Raidak

What happend to your Shadow? It got three triangle shaped shadows from your head, but you only have two ears….
maybe a indication of a crown on head?
- k9mouse
  
  I was wondering the same thing…
- Vanguard
  
  I see the shadow of the king that haunts her dreams when I look at her shadow. It may just be me, but thats what I think it looks like.
Muhu

I was listening to Time from the inception ost while watching this. So much epicness…
woundedkneecap

Wow, what an amazing update. I’m in shock, flabbergasted, awestruck, disarmed, stupefied, enthralled, and left wanting more…
Vanguard

I wondered what was taking this update so long, and now I know why. Utterly amazing update, Ch’marr is truly a genius among coders. Well done.
Hippy Jesus

This is beautiful, absolute great use of Javascript! It brings tears to my eyes. You and Ch’marr are a great team.

The two of you are pretty wizard; you two are airwolf; you rock, whoohoo!
dude

Not good enough for allotted time,sorry.
- Ch’marr
  
  Dammit! I knew we shouldn’t have gone for the bonus points!
  
  Ah well. Instant stick figures next time, then! 🙂
  - NoriMori
    
    Lololol!
  - dude
    
    i wasn’t trying to be mean but i just think you could have done better like have torches that light up when she gets near them
    - dude
      
      like on brackets i meant or on a chain like before you go back into the bloodworks.You know, the one you always jump to hit on your way back?
ThatGuy

Wait, what breed of khajiit is Katia? Suthay-Raht or Cathay-Raht, right?
Arcade

I’ve been lurking since pretty much the beginning and I just had to come out of hiding for this one. Holy shit.
outordinary

Have not responded to the comic in a while, but listen Kaz. You, Ch’ marr, and the rest of the team please take as much time as you want as we are in no hurry. WIth you putting out quality work and effort, it makes it worth it to check the comic by rss every day.
Uzi_Man

One of the slowest updates but also one of the prettiest.
Scout

Making A Cat Cry: The Movie
Carbisari

Did you see that? Something lurks behind the darkness…
- Ch’marr
  
  You too, huh? I thought it was just me, and I pegged it as some weird javascript debugger problem.
Marmar

I saw those slippery shadows along the edges of the darkness. Something lurks…

And it was definitely worth the wait. Keep up the good work.
Mr cake

The lag of the scrolling on my iPad was worth it and holy shit the black around the comments just moved.
- Ch’marr
  
  Yeah… that’s an annoying effect on the iPad… during scroll the browser will scroll the content, but won’t send JS any events until the smooth scrolling stops, by which time JS just redraws for the new position. I’m considering a couple of solutions, but if I can find out how to tell mobile safari to send me intermediate JS events during scroll, that’s a quick way out.
  
  That black movement is definitely a bug, though… a slinkly, creeping, spikey bug…
  - Ch’marr
    
    Aha… there’s a separate event for touchscrolling! 🙂 So, I’ve fixed that… just waiting on Kaz to approve and we’ll get the new JS into place.
Neim

GREAT UPDATE!
tronn

Thank you, Kazerad and Ch’marr, for working extra hard to bring us such an amazing update!
I don’t think that it’s an exaggeration to say that right now Prequel is #1 comic on the net, both in terms of quality and entertainment. From the beginning Kaz’s art has been steadily improving and he has constantly experimented with new things, which are marks of a proper artist. Combined with clever writing and emotionally engaging storyline it is hands down one of the best stories I’ve read, and I feel happier just for knowing that such a beautiful thing exists.
Shine on you crazy diamond!
Zazous

>Katia: Just do not.. Uhm, i think you do what we do not tell you to do, sooo… Look back!
NoriMori

Coolest update ever. When I realized that Katia would only descend a step when I scrolled down, my jaw dropped. And I did a double take when I first saw the King slither outside the edge. Holy shit that was amazing.
- NoriMori
  
  I just realized that Katia’s shadow is the king! Ahhh!
  
  Also, what’s that flashing line just above the flame? Is it a bug, or is the light reflecting off something shiny that we can’t make out? Or is it just me?
Selvest

This is too epic for my head.
Chet Betera

I just want to make a request. Can you transfer the so that the slinking darkness that curls at the side appears in the comment section? I just, adore that effect. Just, adore it to bits. It’s so adorable.
- Ch’marr
  
  While you’re viewing the comment section, hit “refresh”… as katia walks down the stairs far above in the browser… the slinking darkness (much better name than my “horrors” !!) will appear 🙂
Allen

Hi! I’m a little new to this comic? And I was wondering if there’s some way to get informed of updates? Or maybe this place has an update schedule or something? I really love this webcomic, by the way! So awesome!
- Ch’marr
  
  An announcement gets posted to twitter on each update. There’s also RSS feeds for both the website and the twitter feed. All those links are on the right hand side. Your browser probably has a RSS-reader built into it, so… just click the RSS Link and it’ll probably give you the option to add that feed to your browser’s feed.
  - Allen
    
    Thank you so much!
Anghor

WOW. Just… WOW

This is awesome. Purely awesome.

If it wasn’t 1:15 am over here, I’d applaud now O_O
Axel

I wonder if the fact that it’s Katia’s shadow that now has the crown is a hint to anything…
wolf

Kazerad… you are the best. THE ABSOLUTE BEST.
A French Follower

That intense moment when you think : “When does it stop ?”… Brilliant ! Also, like the crow-shaped shadow a the end.
Ikearat

She’s casting a crown shaped shadow.
Bad omen.
Random Chilean Guy

Hey, this is pure awesomeness! I just found out this whole epic story some days ago, and I was not able to stop until I reached the latest chapter, and wow, this is like one of the best thing that I have ever found on the internet. The story of Katia got me immediately hooked up, and I can not wait to find out what will come of her on such perilous adventure.

Seriously, words can not tell how much I love your work, and kudos for the programmer on this strip, because it is a perfect and magnific animation!.

(On a side note, what did this strip even better was the fact that today’s update just matched my birthday, so I was like really lucky hehe)
Nex

well… totaly worth the wait.
Brandi

Wow.
Would it be possible if someone could explain how this was made? It doesn’t seem to be flash, so I’m very confused…
- Brandi
  
  and by “this” I mean this panel specifically :I
  - Ch’marr
    
    In a nutshell, there’s several hundred lines of javascript that are downloaded along with the page and a lot of images. The javascript runs, uses input from the scrolling and timing events and starts to manipulate the attributes of the images and test.
    
    The attributes are part of CSS, which allows me to control its display state, positioning, scaling and opacity. HTML, JavaScript and CSS are all part of the “HTML5” specification banner, but I’m trying to avoid using any advanced concepts there. We’re risking incompatibility as it is.
    
    The real magic comes in crafting the javascript code so it has the above effect. There are two big parts… one pieces that takes a list of all the objects in the system, based on attributes (x,y,z coordinates) determines if, and where, the object should display, and other attributes (such as opacity, which I’m using to emulate different levels of lighting) and scale (emulating distance from the viewer).
    
    The second big part is the code that animates Katia, which uses timing events and attributes in the environment to determine where in x,y,z space she should be moved to, and which “frame” of several are to be displayed.
    
    There are other parts which get kicked off to shift the stairs back and forth (including Katia, if she’s standing on them), light and run the torches, bounces the steps (no-one’s picked up on that one yet 😉 ) and run the slinking horrors on the side… Most of those simply look at the environment, and then adjust the x,y,z values to what should be happening at that time, and rely on the first part to change where they’re displayed.
    
    Now that it’s complete there’s a bunch of things I want to change, to improve robustness, neatness and performance. Towards the end there there were a lot of “okay, it works, I’m not touching it, as ugly as it is”. In fact, I tried to tidy up the torch lighting code, and I couldn’t get the new code to work the same way as the old… but this was Tuesday night, and me and Kaz were keen to get this published. So… improvements to this will come slowly over time. What we have works, mostly, and don’t want to break it 🙂
    - Volchek
      
      Maaaaaaaagic.
      Got it.
      - Ch’marr
        
        Oh… yes… that’s much more succinct. Thank you!
Red

is it just me or is your shadow getting… bigger
Volchek

The looks she gives you when you scroll down from scrolling up sold the whole thing.
Mr. Negative

Honestly? I don’t think this was worth the wait. Don’t get me wrong, this is astonishing. But I’d rather actually have real progression in the story than fancy effects. And don’t say that this is real story progression, because nothing’s really being accomplished. And it won’t be for a very long time.
- Artemis
  
  I agree. These effects were very beautiful and refreshing. Descending the staircase while the ominous shape swirled around was very suspenseful and wonderfully done. But it just seems like 1) we’ve been in the church for a long time and 2) now it feels like we’ve been in this one dream for a long, long time. Mostly because of the time between updates, but I understand Kazerad not wanting to dedicate his entire life to this (I imagine he started Prequel to have fun creating a story, not to give himself a new job). But I too hope the next update will have more story to it.
Ix

This is incredibly beautiful. Can’t wait to look at this on my desktop so it’ll be full screen. Love all the little details.
Kat

Holy. Shit. First time commenting, but I just wanted to say that I was reading this alone in the dark, and I saw the tendrils creeping on the outside of the picture and I almost flipped out. ._. I was so scared when she finally got to the bottom, I thought it would have some sort of screamer ending. e___e In which case I may have peed myself. So thank you, lol
vappyvap

Had my “nope” face the entire time. Thought it would be like the Bong Chong Dong ghost comic.
Raxal

Holy Crap, this is fantastic, I discovered this comic yesterday, and I do NOT regret it, although I have one prediction. Katia, in some weird twist of fate, becomes the Hero of Kvatch! Somehow…….Hope this nightmare isn’t to bad and that she gets her shit back to…..
TB Tabby

That was a nice bit of programming.
Spectral-Ninja

Oh my gosh, thus has got to be one of the coolest comics I’ve ever read online.
Id Yiddeli

This is the coolest thing I have ever seen in my entire life.
Faokryn

This is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen implemented on the web, let alone in a webcomic. Is it some sort of HTML5 wizardry?
- Ch’marr
  
  See my reply to Brandi above!
anonymous

HOLY

SHIT

HOW DO YOU TOP THIS

HOW CAN THIS BE TOPPED
- Ch’marr
  
  Yeah, that’s a question we’ve been asking ourselves too. I think I can safely say that the next installment will not top this, but for all I know Kaz could be enlisting other programmers to do something different. Writing fancy javascript and helping look after the web server and caching stuff doesn’t give me any early access to content (well, apart from this one time 😉 ) and that’s just fine by me… I eagerly await the next installment as much as anyone else 🙂
  
  Now, as far as far future installments go… that’s still an open question 🙂
Aerospace

Wow! That was super cool. Nice job!
Derp

HOLY CRAP I just realized that every time she goes down a step, if you scroll back up, a different suggestion will pop up and she will react to each one differently! You sirs, are motherfucking wizards.
Edmond Dantés

Finally finished catching up with this comic and I must say that ending it here feels amazing, especially since I got to experience an implemented interaction that I’ve never experienced before, so thank you Kaz and Ch’marr. And thank you Kaz for starting such a wonderful story, full of comedy, tragedy, horror, and cuteness. I hope you can continue this for many years to come. I’ll always be watching and waiting.

And leaving comments when I can.

– Edmond Dantés
Count of Monte Cristo
Shinwaka

Wow. Love the detail, especially Katia’s facial expressions (when one scrolls up) on some of the more eccentric commands that appear.

I just wanted to say as a long time lurker of this comic, I finally had the notion to briefly post. Thank you Kazerad (and Ch’marr too) for spending your free time in making to what is a awesome comic. This is one reader who now has a daily compulsion to see if there is anything new happening in the world of Prequel.
Locke

Well that was creepy as shit.
Kathi With An I

Wow. Where did my jaw go?
Oh, look, it’s on the floor.
Asthanius

I love the small touches you made with this, such as having the commands for Katia appear above her every so often, and then having her react to them by either being confused by them, or scared and hugging her Guar plush.
Lepus

This update is absolutely incredible. It’s wonderful to see a really vibrant exploration out of this medium. As web comics and stories go, you’re just blowing everything else out of the water.
qoz

cast magic missle
satansatansatan

Wow.

I’ve never seen a webcomic that takes advantage of the format like this.

Really interesting, keep it up.
Riku8745

You know what’s better than this on a desktop? This while on a tablet. SO COOL.
StClair

Okay, that? That was awesome.
Sei

Ok, I’ve been watching this and haven’t posted a single thing yet, but I have to say, that was beyond awsome.
Kat

And then I realized the comments above every step, and the faces she makes after some of them.

“Cast Magic Missile at the darkness”

“ಠ_ಠ”

made me laugh so hard. xD
Casey

My many thanks, Kazerad. Same to Ch’marr and Cotendo, for the time and detail in all that. I saw someone said you put in some 700 lines of code for the stairs and whatnot. A new comment for every step down after you scroll up AND the corresponding expression for each! Gnarly! At first I thought the two spots with the creepy king tentacles was a glitch. When I first loaded the page, even my quad core processor went into a glitching conniption fit from the epic uberness. So I reloaded and it was good. I hope this comment doesn’t seem too long, but I don’t like to waste space.
- Casey
  
  Aw man, I almost missed another detail to freak out over. Katia looks down as she hops, and even though those are huge, immobile slabs of stone, her tiny child frame still bounces the stone! Sweet!!!
  - Ch’marr
    
    Hooray! Someone ~~noticed~~ commented-on the rebounding steps! 🙂
Abstract

I feel like I’m missing something. When I scrolled down, nothing happened aside from the stairs slightly spreading apart. Once I got to the comments, the shadowy thing appeared on the side. When I scrolled back up, Katia was standing on steps halfway down the page. Scroll all the way down and back up, and Katia is on solid ground next to the torch.

I guess it’s glitched for me? I’ll try a different browser or something.
- Ch’marr
  
  What browser are you using, and what plugins and extensions do you have installed and active?
  - Abstract
    
    Right now I’m using Safari, with no plugins/extensions.
    - Ch’marr
      
      Sounds like you’re using mobile safari on a touch device, true? For some reason katia wont start walking until the scrolling totally stops. I only barely managed to get the stairs to move properly on mobile safari.
      - Abstract
        
        Actually, I’m on an iMac desktop. Not sure why it’s not working.
        
        But in the end, I got to see it anyway by temporarily switching to IE.
      - Ch’marr
        
        …… right.
Amber

I LITERALLY can’t handle how amazing this coding is. I feel like even if I took a class in coding for three years I wouldn’t understand what the hell this sorcery is.
Degu

There is no possible way this is not the best thing ever in the whole world omg.

And at least she didn’t fall off, like I was kind of expecting. Clumsy as she is.
- Woodledude
  
  Actually, I think people are generally more agile as children. At least, I seem to be getting clumsier as I progress into my teenage years… XP
Alceris

Witchcraft! Mind-blowingly awesome witchcraft!
Blue

Amazing..
Solar

I found this recently, just managed to catch up to current.. and… wow. I’m definitely going to keep up with this series. The interaction is interesting, the character feels realistic in her emotional reactions. The story is really progressing too.

I really want to know just what the truth of her nightmares really is.
Sai

Extremely clever use of Flash, Kaz! You just keep pushing what can be done with interactive comi..nimation… whatever this thing you do is. I’m still calling it a comic regardless.
- xKiv
  
  flash.use = none;
  cleverness(flash.use) > 9000
  
  …
  
  I mean, are you referring to something?
billy

my god all the expressions she makes after the comments
- Ransom
  
  I just now noticed the comments and reactions as she descends! Amazing stuff!
- nupanick
  
  Is it just me, or do you have to “look up” after every step to read them?
nupanick

Seems like to see all the additional commands, I have to look up again after every step. Is that intentional?
The Strange Stranger

wow, this animation is really impressive. i didn’t know such a thing was possible using GIF images. I’m going to see if I can analyze this GIF in photoshop.

Ch’marr is awesome.
NeithanDiniem

Anyone else notice her shadow is that of a crown? o.O
Peyton Lehew

Woooow! That is both incredibly impressive and absolutely fucking terrifying. I forgive you for how long it took to update. Holy cow, that is amazing. My face was like this : 0 the whole time.
nocbl2

OK….

Kazerad, Ch’marr, you guys probably won’t see this.

But holy fuck.

Um.

AWESOME
shaytalis

I wonder what that guy with all the four-leaf clovers is up to?
Sheogorath

So many chills in me bones now.
Soadreqm

This is so beautiful 😮
thepotato232

First time commenter, long time reader here…

Wow. I consider myself a fairly jaded and crusty navigator of these here internets, but this was really unlike anything I think I’ve seen before. Really beautiful work, Ch’marr and Kaz.
- Uzi_Man
  
  Who is Chmar?
  - Ch’marr
    
    Me!
    
    I did all the javascript/css programming behind this installment.
Armael

Holy shit that was awesome I love you kazerad this update is epic. Wonder what will happen next.
JellyDoughnut

Katia: Be wary of the shadows. You know not what lurks inside them.
Reynard-Miri

Hoooooooly… That was amazing! =D
Neuronyx

I’ve NEVER seen anything like this before. Incredible. I’m floored.

And goddamn is it my imagination or did I see swirling tentacles of darkness a couple times before?
- Ch’marr
  
  It’s your imagination. We’d never put anything like that into the story. Nosirree.
  - Ankoku
    
    It’s clearly a bug, I’m seeing it as well you should do something about that Ch’marr.
    - Ch’marr
      
      Hmmm … try taking more medications, or perhaps ~~less~~fewer.
- dagoth Purr
  
  Hmm. Young cat girl and tentacles?
  
  Oh god I know whats going to happen next. Ive seen those internet cartoons.
Koal

….That was some pretty freakin’ epic javascripting there! =D
Cheetaaaaa

Is this going on?
- Kazerad
  
  Probably in a couple days. These weird pages tend to take longer than others.
LLA

oh my god, what.. how??? what you did with the image and how you made katia follow when you scroll down.. WOW that’s SO COOL aaaaaaaa
Dynablade

Even after explaining it, this page appears to be the work of magic. A beautiful, powerful magic.

There are really no words to describe how amazing this page is. Pretty sure this level of animation has never been used on a webcomic before….minus that creepy Korean comic, but that only applied to the last couple pictures.
Yinello

Dear Ch’marr and Kazarad, I tip my hat for you. I was absolutely amazed by this.
M’aiq

M’aiq does not like the bottom of the stairs. M’aiq is scared spitless now.
Kaebora

Gah! Your shadow looks like a crown!
- tech
  
  dun dun dunnnn!
BlackVolk

Wicked awesome animation job!
Paneeners

Kazerad and Team,

I only caught your work now. (Thanks to Bethesda) But you really are inspiring! And thanks to you I feel i can actually go through with my fanstory. (interactive and all)

But that’s neither here nor there. Is this story about to end? Because recent events and this dream sequence is FULL of foreshadowing (hahha shadows. I see what you did there, and no, not you slithering on the sides. the ones on Katia’s foot). If it is, thanks for the ride and I’d love to see you tell your own story. If it isn’t then, ONWARDS AOSHIMA.

-a won over fan-
Jah’zeera

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who noticed that her shadow is wearing a crown, right guys?
Adad64

Veeeeery nice. If you ever need help I’m a bit of a whiz with jQuery sorcery myself 🙂 let me know if I can do anything.
The Whicher

I literally wathed the whole update sitting 2 meters away from the screen
(The feeling that sth will surely come out of nowhere from it to scare the sht out of me)
dagoth Purr

Hey you know what would be hilarious for next part Kaz?

Your own version of that scary korean comic.
- ChetBetera
  
  Don’t you even think about! I’m serious! Don’t!
  - Link
    
    Drr drr drr?
    - Ch’marr
      
      This staircase. It was made for you.
  - DestinedFateX
    
    Actually, I think a scare like that would do wonders for this dream-session. :3
    - Tycholarfero
      
      Oh yes. It’d be absolutely remarkable for this.
Kazerad

I swear this next update was going to be done faster, then TF2 updated >:
- Scout
  
  Surely the hour long queue times for MvM is enough to get a bit done? :3
- Ankoku
  
  I guess that’s an ok reason to be late on one of these updates… but when we get back to “normal” Ill be expecting an update at least once every one and a half weeks, hope that’s an ok expectation
- Shinden
  
  GOSH DURN IT KAZ. Tell you what. Ill forgive you if we can go do some MvM together. I host a server~
  - Kazerad
    
    Shindeeeeen, you should have friendlisted me D=. I’ve been assembling parties and playing all day, I would have seriously asked you along.
    - Shinden
      
      B-b-but I dont know your Steam ID! D:
- Tycholarfero
  
  I hope that gamemode is treating you very well, and that you earn all the prizes.
- Miauw
  
  Ah, that must be annoying!
  Whats your favorite class, btw?
weslar

Oh my god this comic is awesome. Just caught up with the archive and this latest update with the moving stairs and the creepy stuff on the sides was just brilliant. LOVE IT!
theplunderking

can`t remember if i commented on this page, been a while sense i last checked in for an update, but if i haven`t said it yet… good work kaz, the thing with the steps is unlike anything i have ever seen on a computer. i`m still a little amazed you can even do something like that! i`m also very comfortable about where the story is right now, all that sadness had me feeling a mix of empathy,stress and frustration. its nice to have a port in the storm, even if it is gonna get worse its nice to have a update stand still that doesn’t depress me : ) so seriously play up that TF2 for a while… when we finally get back into the tragedy is when i get that blended emotion thing going again (not sure if its a good or bad thing that this story makes me feel like this)
patrick`

I really enjoy this. I always get very excited when i see an update as been made. And i will patiently await for future updates. Thank you for making this. To kaz and ch’marr, thank you for all your hard work.
- patrick
  
  I also really have been enjoying these dreams. I love the art style and storytelling within them.
kratosjones88

Look at her shadow at the bottom.
Taco

Please don’t rape Katia through the stomach again…
blah blah blah

how dey do dat
Duck,duck,Katia

I wish there was a set time for when prequel comes out :|.It’s getting annoying having to come check everyday.
- Bove
  
  There is a post on twitter every time an update is released.
Bonzohazard

lol, what’s this now, week infinity? It’s been months without story line! We’re being weened off Prequel cuz he’s tired of doing it. Hell, we may be seeing the last entry as we speak! Oh well, farewell Katia!! Wish we could have seen what happens to you! <3
- andwhyisit
  
  It’s only been two weeks. Get over yourself.
  - Bonzohazard
    
    It’s been two weeks since he updated, but if you were to do that thing called “reading”, you might notice I was talking about “story line”, meaning more than just pictures, clown. I’ll get over myself when you learn to pay attention. :*
    - Bove
      
      No storyline? What’s wrong with you? When has the storyline ever stopped? The storytelling of both the events in the town and the entire dream sequence IS storyline. The story has never stopped progressing. The events in the town have been progressing from scene to scene as the plot enfolds. The dream sequence/flashback is telling a story/giving insight into Katia’s fears which will be used in the current plot line. We have been moving from one event to the next quite rapidly. The last couple updates have been setting the mood and creating atmosphere for what happens in the dream. It is great storytelling. Also, don’t be a dick.
      - Bonzohazard
        
        It hasn’t done/set anything, it’s been one huge bout of neglect, with a broken string of posts lacking narration and dialogue as an attempt is make to “enhance” the experience with a bit of animation which is actually another means of procrastination. I’m not being a dick, I’m being a realist, and not allowing my hopes to reside in “The Magical Land of Whimsy”. Get a grip guy.
      - Bove
        
        That’s a pretty extreme position. I guess you are entitled to it, but remember that Kaz reads these. I personally think that you are misinterpreting the nuances of effective creative writing. It’s not about being concise. Plot progression in creative writing is nothing without setting moods and invoking the emotions of the reader. If they didn’t do anything for you then I guess I’m sorry, but it comes down to opinion. Procrastination? Well it’s not like he’s required or expected to do this. We aren’t entitled to it.
        
        Andwhyisit really didn’t have to insult but it was fairly innocent. But you were just being a dick to him.
    - andwhyisit
      
      Look at the archives. Katia’s dream sequences are always silent.
- Tycholarfero
  
  It’s actually kind of hard to say he’s “weening us off” when almost every recent forum post he makes, not just on the MSPA suggestion box, but other forums as well, such as the SomethingAwful “Official(?)” Prequel thread, which he posts quite often in, practically says otherwise. And besides, he’s getting fans, and he loves seeing their reactions to updates he makes, and how he furthers the story. Sure, there may have not been a very recent story update, but “week infinity” is kind of exaggerating it a little bit. It’s been probably a month or so with out really seeing much development, other than the church part. It’s a little hard for him to just end the story here and now when he’s practically enjoying every bit of it, and what the fans think of it. Now, don’t get me wrong, it seems like he is, but really he isn’t. The realist approach was a good call, however.
  
  I apologize in advance if I had gotten anything, or everything, wrong. Also I apologize for those long run-on sentences.
  - Tycholarfero
    
    Also, I apologize if I contradict myself in many of the above statements, or reuse statements.
VaporeonKun

“Cast Magic Missile at the Darkness.”

Haha, niiiice..
Jessica U. Ingmann

I have never seen anything like this. It’s AMAZING what Javascript is capable of! Lags the crap outta Opera though. Or it’s my old beat-up laptop. X3
- Scout
  
  Thanks for the update, prequel author person!
Scout

8/22/11? This note has been posted 1 year ago!
- Kazerad
  
  Fuck! D:
  - xKiv
    
    Fix!
    =)
viewer

im sure like many people here we would just pref you to do what you originally did with the comic and tell the story, we dont need to open each new part and be amazed at all the new animations and effects on it, were here for the story so remember that, im not saying stop the animations but take a look at your earlier stuff compared to the content you are releasing now and you will see what i mean.
- Kazerad
  
  Yeah, honestly I keep meaning to ratchet it back into simpler updates, but when doing something simple it’s easy to accidentally go overboard. For weeks. I’m working on it though! I’m ideally looking to settle into a happy medium between speed and impressiveness. People who keep up with the comic every day want faster speed, and I want to provide it, but at the same the more impressive updates can work better for new readers running through the archive.
  
  Of course, no update should take three weeks. A large portion of that delay was mostly for other reasons.
  - Bove
    
    Don’t worry. A lot of us appreciate the atmosphere that you create in order to tell the story that you desire. I personally love these savory-type updates. Don’t feel rushed. We all love your story and want you to create one that you want to make and the path you want to take. I know a lot of people react differently to your comic because of the desire that you create for your story. Some just are a little impatient in my opinion.
    
    And hopefully we all realize and understand that you are giving this experience to us for free and aren’t entitled to anything.
Abraham

Kazerad, take your time. We do want your comic to come out but we don’t want something that you’ve rush just to give it to us.
Neim

So, next update is delayed?Well, this one took a while and look how amazing is… Cant wait to see how you surprise us!
Joeyboney

RUN back up the stairs we don’t want anything else going bad…
Curtisimo

…
I really want to submit a suggestion, but me using a computer is like a baby fighting Mohamed Ali. Does anyone wanna help out?
Curtisimo – has ALL the facepalm!
- Shadowscale
  
  not really . . . but your lucky i’m awesome its real easy just head on down to the forum (click submit command on extras) then post your command. Good luck
Ramobw Dash

OH MAH GOSH GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!! 300th COMMENT!!!!!!! IT’S ME!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;u; I just…. I just wanna thank so many people… First off; Kazerad, for making this possible. I love ya man. Second off; I wanna think my best bro, Ch’marr. You stuck through me through the thick and thin man, you stood by my side all my side, and then we made out. Passionatly. In the moonlight. While Kaz watched.

:’) Thank you all…
- Tycholarfero
  
  Congratulations!
- Kazerad
  
  I can vouch for this entire story. It was beautiful.
Tnt6656

Am i the only person who thinks she looks more like a lombax (ratchet and clank series) than a khajiit?
Kelsier03

Ok, your shadow has a crown, little Khajiit. Perhaps your fear of royalty was not imposed by exterior sources, but comes from within yourself. Something to reflect upon, but first, was there something moving in the shadows on the way down? Now is the time for caution.
Dagoth Purr

And now dark souls just came out
- dude
  
  no it didn’t
  - stuff
    
    for PC it did
creeperbro

@Gray Acumen’s comment

Nice reference.
creeperbro

I finally got up-to-date with the series… DAMN
creeperbro

My prediction: The king will jump out of the dark/alley/whatever place she’s going next with a trollface on.
Dagoth Purr

Maybe katia will encounter 4 kings in this dream.

THE FOUR KINGS FROM DARK SOULS!
Dagre

Got for some strange reason the lyrics to the rocket theme of despicable me when she was going down the stairs 😛
Pretty awesome this comic.
Gaurboy

homestuck Ain’t got nothin on this.
Bushman

Whoah! This. Is. Insane. 😀
Kilwillae

This is the coolest thing I’ve seen in Flash ever.
Zorpike

uh oh. Tentacles.
Leis

This has to be one of the most mind-blowing things i’ve seen on the internet. You, the artist, are the real wizard.
Elosan

This was amazing! Especially the black tentacles coming off the side of the screen. Very well made!
Defutz

This totally fucked with me.
Bushmaster

Wow, this is still amazing, this is where the story was up to when I started reading it, it’s still awesome now.
Brilliant effect with the stars and the comments on the way down.
The whole piece is really very effective at emotionally involving the reader.
In fact, the whole story is really powerful in making the audience care about what happens to Katia; you can see it in the comments and the suggestions, it’s this emotional attachment of the readers and the way it’s achieved that I think really makes Prequal what it is and is a credit to Kazerad and everyone he’s had help him out from time to time.
Who knew that that so many people could become emotionally attached to a near useless fictional character with an alcohol problem, painted on underware, next to no skills and a habit of causing disaster wherever she goes.
Bravo.
Anonymous

Traversed those damned stairs in about 15 minutes at a stunning 0.1 FPS. I regret nothing. I hope neither will the Khajiit that named herself Katia.
o0o

Wow wow wow. That was incredible.
zee

I get pissed at this comic sometimes but I will say it’s doing some absolutely jaw-dropping and inspired stuff with the art and animation…I’ve never seen anything like this bit ANYWHERE.

also holy crap that shadow…I’m scared to click the next page…
Anonny

I don’t see what any one is talking about, I see her walking down a little stairs and then staring at the brasher and then just black. Is my phone not working right or is that all there is?
Dagda Mor

Holy shit.
Grayven

ok you now hit the cool marker^W^
Raurie

got to say, that was pretty cool.
ZodiacShadow

I’ll make this short;

I think this is one of the coolest things I have ever seen.
dramspringfeald

I’m a little late to the party but notice when she lights the fire her shadow IS the king?
Jennawynn

Ok, I discovered this last night thanks to a recommendation. It’s the first comic-thing that has made me laugh so hard and feel so bad for the characters. Just the use of the audience is amazing in its own right, but your drawings are awesome, and it’s so hard NOT to feel for Katia. (Also, she’s just ADORABLE). However, this is the first time I’ve been compelled to comment. This… this was amazing. Bravo. I’m going to go read the rest now!
Mzuark

That was unreal. You’re amazing Kaz.
Shadowkey392

FANTASTIC animation work!
Sambenmaggie

This was just amazing. Bravo.
DGM

This is amazing, great work on everything, story, storytelling, I’ve been hooked for days.
Nubnuber

Scott McCloud, eat your heart out.
RylanSword

I’m on some serious drugs or this comic just became my new favorite.
dtlux14

This is messing with my head, then the thing behind it is scary too. Was expecting it to pop out at the bottom.
Dragon

This is astounding. Incredible. Cute and scary fourth-wall-breaking is the best :3

Might I suggest some ominous ambient background noises to enhance the atmosphere, though?