Catnap Reviews: LAIRHOLD (Up to page 256)

Attention

Lairhold is an 18+ rated adventure, but I will not be including anything 18+ in this review. Also, be mindful of spoilers!
The panels used in this post are linked directly from the Lairhold MSPFA, and belong to the artist(s) of that adventure!

Introduction

So, I am a fairly big fan of fantasy settings, Dungeons & Dragons, and just Tabletop RPG in general. I mean, I work on my own fantasy-based homestuck fanspecies based on dwarves! When I first started hearing about Lairhold's development, I thought it was honestly a concept that spoke to my interests specifically. Taking the modernized depiction of kobolds and putting them through a game of their own, it was cool to see both as a fanspecies fan and a kobolds fan.

Now I will admit, I don't normally read a lot of sburb-based adventures. Nothing against them of course, I think the game is honestly a really interesting thing to explore in a lot of ways, but personally I normally like to look for something that really takes a different turn from what Homestuck proper has done with the game. Now I can't say for sure whether or not Lairhold has differed too much from the Sburb formula yet, considering how early on the comic is, but it definitely has it's own spins on various systems that I think are just kind of neat!

Anyway, I've read bits and pieces of this adventure off and on throughout it's life, but never really sat down to read it in it's entirety. It actually wasn't until a recent thread was made by MinermateCoffee requesting help on the adventure that I decided it was time I really give it a proper read. I mean, I do like helping out a fellow MSPFA author on occasion, especially in the musical department, but I wouldn't want to actually go and say "hey I got some tunes" for a comic I haven't even caught up on!

But enough introducing, let's get onto the review.

Overview

It's a charming comic with a really crisp high quality visual style that you'd expect from something like the HS:BC team. I'm personally not a sburbventure kind of person so the greater plot isn't entirely my personal taste unless something unexpected happens, but overall a great recommendation for a solid fanspecies adventure.

Checkpoint: Page 1

The very first (and second) page of this adventure gives you all you need to know right as you come into the comic. You have a kobold, the visual style is pretty sleek and colorful while pertaining to a MSPA-fied fantasy setting, there will be quite a few animated panels, and also you're immediately presented with some of the adventure's sense of humor right on the 18+ warning. Honestly, a really solid introduction.

There's already worldbuilding taking place within the first paragraph, introducing the concept of the kobold's way of telling time, and even a piece of koboldic culture in regards to their molts. Also, a solid introduction here. Honestly, casual usage of original terminologies and systems is one of my favorite kinds of worldbuilding, it makes it blend in to the writing right off the bat.

Checkpoint: Page 4

Okay, so normally I wouldn't place a checkpoint so soon after the last, but I also have to point out how I like that there's immediately a whole new original writing system as well. I haven't gone around to trying to decipher it myself yet, nor do I know if there's any kind of key the authors have provided, but still, always cool to see.

Checkpoint: Page 23

This is something that definitely differs from a lot of other sburbventures I've read in the past. A completely separate magic/power system that (seemingly) has nothing to do with sburb itself and exists in the world of the characters. The previous showcases of magic being used, as well as the explanation on page 23 of the different kinds of crystals and their properties, does spark the imagination in wondering what other kinds of minerals does what.
It seems fairly straightforward of course, with the red ruby equating to heat and vitality, and the blue sapphire relating to cold and liquid. Maybe something like an emerald might be plant-based? Poison? Acid? Green has a lot of associations. Cool stuff!

Checkpoint: Page 34

This page is the one that made me really feel like this is set up like a video game. The camera transitioning into a new zone, the transparency of the wall. If you told me this was a gif someone captured of some cool stylized flash game about kobolds, I would probably believe you. And, honestly, I think that fits extremely well in any comic that has to do with sburb, due to it's nature as a reality-bending video game. If reality is already videogame-ish on it's own, then it'll fit right in.

Checkpoint: Page 51

Now THIS is a really interesting strife system. Instead of it being an interactive flash, it looks to be a long line of animated gifs and statistics, alongside a pretty nifty battle themesong playing in the background. I, for one, am a big fan of background music being used more often in adventures.
Now, I do recall there being some kind of live comments-driven system being in place for these battle sequences at the time of them going live, but I could be wrong, since it was a message I briefly saw maybe once on discord. As such, I don't quite know entirely how the battles play out, but they're cool to see nonetheless.

Leaning into the TTRPG influence, I notice there being a lot to do with number rolls and chance, which I am a BIG fan of. You won't believe how fun it is for me to roll up some dice at any given chance whenever I play a solo TTRPG session.
Everything is tied so neatly together to really bring this whole thing to life. Once again, I almost feel as though these are captures of an existing flash game somewhere on the internet, and I mean that very positively.

I also love how the little UI buttons and stats have something to say when you hover over them with a mouse.

Kobold Charles Duttton.

Checkpoint: Page 72

STATS!!!

This will most certainly be something very interesting once this comic's equivalent of alchemy becomes a thing. And honestly, "character does a ton of alchemy" sections are ALWAYS fun for me. Heck, I've actually read some nonsburb fanventures that still have alchemy sections inside of them, just because of how fun they can be.

Checkpoint: Page 90

You can present a species biology lesson as a joke all you want, I WILL be interested and read everything it has to say. In fact, I too am an avid writer of species biology. You don't know the extent of biological anatomy I have done on say, my dwarves. I read every portion of this page with the fascination of a biologist fresh out of college and having been told to go stare at a diagram of an exotic Australian insect. Taking notes, keeping records out here. I was a fan of kobolds long before I was into Homestuck, so I can and will combine two autistic hyperfixations like some kind of dragon ball Z fusion dance extravaganza.
Ballsack.

Checkpoint: Page 164

I do think it's pretty fun when sburbventures do take the time to make up some new machines for the alchemy/entry process. Ultimately it serves a pretty similar purpose, but it's neat to have diversity in ways things are gone about. Also, the cruxite ingots do look pretty tasty.
I also appreciate that not every panel has the kernelsprite flashing brightly. Frankly, the bright flashiness of the kernelsprite in general is not something I particularly like in Homestuck at all, as someone who is pretty serious about reader accessibility in comics.

Checkpoint: Page 183

This panel killed me. Figuratively speaking. I am still here.
Or, perhaps, my ghost is here, writing this review. Maybe I too was absolutely vaporized in the same way this poor kobold was in this very panel.

I also quite like how throughout the adventure, the writing has been dedicated to using it's own unique cuss words, such as "dragons damn it". It not only serves to add charm to the world, it's also a greater hint into the worldbuilding at play here. It seems that to a kobold, a dragon is equivalent to a god, considering the origin of the saying.

Checkpoint: Page 219

Page 200, and we properly meet a new member of the cast!
I'm not someone who is picky about timing when it comes to cast introductions. Some might like to see more characters sooner, others might like each one to be thoroughly inspected first. Personally, I feel it just depends on what the narrative needs. I had a lot of fun with Aslania's side of the story so far and didn't feel like it was too long or short before moving onto this new individual.

I do have to say though, the circumstance Deprire finds themselves in sounds very similar to one of my friends, weirdly enough, so I can sympathize.

I also find it very interesting how this story seems to incorporate multiple personalities existing inside of one character. Now, I am by no means an expert in the matter, so I can't exactly say much on it, but I think it's pretty interesting nonetheless and it does make me wonder how things will play out in the long run, especially in regards to dreamselves and player count.

Checkpoint: Page 255

And so, we meet what I can assume is one of the elusive DRAGONS of the story, considering the wings and the eloquent gold dressing. Actually, now that I think about it, didn't we briefly see Aslania's, too? I think their designs are appropriately majestic for how revered they appear to be in kobold culture.

The second major battle in the comic, which also plays out very smoothly. I would like to catch one live someday. I don't know if I somehow missed it in the last one or not, but it seems now, hovering over different things actually shows new themed windows explaining various stats and information, which I find to be a really cool touch. I love custom theme tomfoolery in MSPFAs.

Final Thoughts

So, I think that was a fine read, honestly. As I've said in the TL;DR, this is a pretty solid fanspecies adventure, and could be a great introduction into fanspecies as a whole for some! I might see myself keeping up with this adventure here and there as it updates, and I am looking forward to seeing this big flash animation they seem to be in the midst of working on.

Overall, a fine read, and a fine portrayal of my favorite unhinged reptile race, and hopefully, this made for a fine enough first MSPFA review!

I encourage you to read it if you haven't, and think about what this comic means to you in particular. Trust me, it can actually be quite worth it to slow down a little and really think about everything that goes into the making of a comic. If you're a MSPFA author yourself, you must know that there's so much that goes into your project before it ever even leaves your computer and enters the online world. Sometimes, a piece of the authors(s) journey(s) can be found inside of their work if you look close enough, and I think that's pretty rad.