The Serpent Sorceress (comic story)
The Serpent Sorceress was the first comic story in the Kaza’s Mate, Gwenna webcomic, written and drawn by Jay Epps. Like the first few stories in the series, despite the characters' nudist lifestyle, it contained no actual adult content, with framing being used to avoid any depiction of NSFW imagery. This gimmick would eventually be abandoned starting with The Danger, The Diamond, and the Dowager.
Contents
Plot
Commissioner Smedley emails Kaza and Gwenna that Nerlana, daughter of Kaza's old foe the Serpent Priest, has been seen in the area. They resolve to investigate — but already, Nerlana, who is scheming with an other old enemy of Kaza's called Mitchell, has revivled the Serpent Cult and penetrated the old serpent temple. They are waiting for Kaza when he arrives; revealing that Kaza was wrong to think the old Serpent Priest a mere conman with no magical powers, Nerlana uses his hypnotic circlet to command snakes to swarm upon him and capture him.
Meanwhile, Gwenna has met up with Smedley and Wimberly. They go to the Natari village for allies; at first they find it eerily empty, and, when the Natari show themselves, they reveal that the Serpent Cult has made its resurgence known, and is holding a large gathering at the Temple that very night.
By nightfall everyone is at the Temple, where Nerlana summons the Cult's god, Nerkash, the “Serpent Lord” — which turns out to be very real, albeit as a giant snake of dubious intelligence who follows the circlet-wearer's commands, rather than the deity the Cult sees it as. Its lack of godhood is exposed when Wimberly shoots it in the eye; its titanic flailings soon cause the cultists to scatter. Gwenna calls for Nerlana to surrender, but before she can decide one way or the other, the Priestess finds herself swallowed by Nerkash, having lost her psychic leash on him.
With the cultists have run off and are expected to be little trouble in the future, the day is saved — and, luckily enouhg, Smedley knows a herpetologist who can re-home interesting snake specimens. Wimberly’s effective wins him acclaim among the Natari, with Gana introducing the bashful young man to three women who wish to get to know him better — particularly as the depopulation of the tribe's men by the Cult's original reign of terror ten years ago has left would-be mothers with a dearth of possible fathers, even without asking for any commitment.
Worldbuilding
Universes
- This story takes place in the default universe of Kaza's Mate, Gwenna, later identified as Reality Z-25 31-H.
Other
- Gwenna was originally a socialite named Gwen Davis.
- Kaza and Gwenna are described as a “modern day Adam and Eve”.
- The Natari village is located closer to the Temple of the Serpent God than “the kraal near Buranda Pass”.
- George Wimberly has hypoglycemia.
- Gana nicknames Gwenna “Uchi”.
- The Commissioner contacts a friend of his who belongs to the Royal Herpetological Society about the discovery of the snake, who winds up being rehomed to the London Zoo as a result.
Continuity
- This story introduces rebooted versions of two public-domain comic characters with one prior appearance each: Gwenna debuted in COMIC: Jo-Jo Congo King, while Kaza originated in COMIC: Fear in the Jungle, which additionally depicted his friendship with a mustache-sporting Commissioner who evidently influenced Commissioner Smedley.
- Gwenna is depicted with black hair, similar to her public-domain counterpart from COMIC: Jo-Jo Congo King, as well as blue eyes. Starting in COMIC: Ruthless Ro-Man, she would instead be depicted with red hair and green eyes.
Behind the scenes
Background
The titular Sorceress's name is inconsistently spelled throughout the story: it is given as “Narlana” on Page 2 and Page 3, but as “Nerlana” on Page 4, Page 5, Page 11 and Page 12.
Read online
The story can be read on the Kaza's Mate, Gwenna website starting here.
