Last Res0rt
Encyclopedia
Last Res0rt is a furry
cyberpunk
webcomic
series by Rachel Keslensky, about a galactic reality show of the same name featuring condemned criminals fighting for their freedom, similar to Battle Royale
or The Running Man
except that the characters are made to compete through an entire season's broadcast.
The comic also has fantasy and religious elements, most notably in the presence of various undead creatures such as zombie
s, vampire
s, and djinn, and the concept of souls as tangible, perceptible elements (to some creatures) which give people various powers, most commonly extrasensory.
The comic focuses on the adventures of one volunteer contestant on the show, Jigsaw Forte, who discovers soon after signing up that she is also a rare non-human vampire, and must complete the show without revealing her new vampire identity if she wants to survive.
Jigsaw Forte volunteers for the show (barely making the cut), and later learns that she's also the galaxy's only known non-human vampire
; while this improves her chances for survival dramatically (since vampires are notoriously hard to kill), it also requires her to keep her vampirism a secret, since various organizations who hunt the undead (also referred to as Dead Inside, and include djinn, efreet, and zombies as well as vampires) would kill her if they knew. Most of the comic focuses on Jigsaw as she struggles to stay alive on the reality show and learn about her new vampire abilities while making sure she doesn't expose her secret.
due to the presence of humans), consisting of a loose confederation of planets filled with numerous anthropomorphic species. These planets interact with each other politically akin to international relations, although there are some interplanetary groups such as the Galaxy Girl Scouts (An alliance of female celebrity soldiers from various planets and species, intended as a Sailor Moon
homage) and the Star Organization (an extraplanetary military branch of the Church of the Endless).
Only a few of the planets in the Galaxy are of interest to the story, including Celigo (a planet invaded by the Celeste and turned into their homeworld), Arael (the homeworld of the Talmi species), and Fenirel (Jason Spades's homeworld, as well as where Jigsaw became a vampire).
The show itself is held on Last Res0rt Station, a free-floating, spherical space station considered neutral territory built for the purposes of holding the reality show. In addition to the prison complex where the contestants live, there is also a bustling metropolitan area known as the city of Wonder , the "public" side of Last Res0rt Station designed to accommodate the numerous visiting / residing fans and staff.
marsupial
) who volunteers for the show and later discovers that she is a vampire. Since everyone else thinks only humans can be vampires, she also believes that she is the only non-human vampire in the galaxy. Prior to discovering this, she was motivated into signing up for the show to save Daisy Archanis, a female human CEO who was arrested, tortured, and otherwise coerced onto the show. Daisy works as Jigsaw's lieutenant during the show; while it's clear that Daisy at one point was a friend of Jigsaw's family, their actual relationship is unknown.
The other contestants on the reality show are a mix of volunteers (who signed up for the show willingly for their own reasons) and condemned criminals (who signed up for the show in hopes of receiving a full pardon
, and thus freedom), including:
There are also several characters among the staff of Last Res0rt, such as Cypress Vaeo (the producer and co-commentator of the show) and her family, as well as several characters who have their own agendas such as Veled (the "First Wing" in command of Celigo's Military, and believed to be the Messiah of the Endless), as well as several Galaxy Girl Scouts from various planets who have appeared on the show. Jigsaw's parents are also on their way to Last Res0rt Station, and are motivated to pull Jigsaw off the show.
Furry fandom
Furry fandom is a fandom for fictional anthropomorphic animal characters with human personalities and characteristics. Examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, the ability to speak, walk on two legs, and wear clothes...
cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
webcomic
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
series by Rachel Keslensky, about a galactic reality show of the same name featuring condemned criminals fighting for their freedom, similar to Battle Royale
Battle Royale
thumb|260px|Cover of the 2009 expanded edition, ISBN 978-1-4215-2772-3 is a 1999 Japanese novel written by Koushun Takami. The story tells of schoolchildren who are forced to fight each other to the death....
or The Running Man
The Running Man
The Running Man is a science fiction novel by Stephen King, first published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman in 1982 as a paperback original. It was collected in 1985 in the hardcover omnibus The Bachman Books...
except that the characters are made to compete through an entire season's broadcast.
The comic also has fantasy and religious elements, most notably in the presence of various undead creatures such as zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
s, vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s, and djinn, and the concept of souls as tangible, perceptible elements (to some creatures) which give people various powers, most commonly extrasensory.
The comic focuses on the adventures of one volunteer contestant on the show, Jigsaw Forte, who discovers soon after signing up that she is also a rare non-human vampire, and must complete the show without revealing her new vampire identity if she wants to survive.
Overview
A brand new, unprecented reality show named Last Res0rt has just begun, bringing together twelve of the galaxy's worst criminals (and four volunteers) to face off in a series of deadly challenges and against each other for a chance at fame, fortune, and freedom. Everyone who survives to the end of the season will go home with full pardons and their freedom, but first they have to live that long.Jigsaw Forte volunteers for the show (barely making the cut), and later learns that she's also the galaxy's only known non-human vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
; while this improves her chances for survival dramatically (since vampires are notoriously hard to kill), it also requires her to keep her vampirism a secret, since various organizations who hunt the undead (also referred to as Dead Inside, and include djinn, efreet, and zombies as well as vampires) would kill her if they knew. Most of the comic focuses on Jigsaw as she struggles to stay alive on the reality show and learn about her new vampire abilities while making sure she doesn't expose her secret.
Setting
Last Res0rt is located within a (currently) unnamed galaxy (assumed to be the Milky WayMilky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
due to the presence of humans), consisting of a loose confederation of planets filled with numerous anthropomorphic species. These planets interact with each other politically akin to international relations, although there are some interplanetary groups such as the Galaxy Girl Scouts (An alliance of female celebrity soldiers from various planets and species, intended as a Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon, known as , is a media franchise created by manga artist Naoko Takeuchi. Fred Patten credits Takeuchi with popularizing the concept of a team of magical girls, and Paul Gravett credits the series with "revitalizing" the magical-girl genre itself...
homage) and the Star Organization (an extraplanetary military branch of the Church of the Endless).
Only a few of the planets in the Galaxy are of interest to the story, including Celigo (a planet invaded by the Celeste and turned into their homeworld), Arael (the homeworld of the Talmi species), and Fenirel (Jason Spades's homeworld, as well as where Jigsaw became a vampire).
The show itself is held on Last Res0rt Station, a free-floating, spherical space station considered neutral territory built for the purposes of holding the reality show. In addition to the prison complex where the contestants live, there is also a bustling metropolitan area known as the city of Wonder , the "public" side of Last Res0rt Station designed to accommodate the numerous visiting / residing fans and staff.
Characters
The main character of Last Res0rt, Jigsaw Forte, is a female Talmi (anthropomorphic alien felineFelinae
Felinae is a subfamily of the family Felidae which includes the genera and species listed below. Most are small to medium-sized cats, although the group does include some larger animals, such as the Cougar and Cheetah....
marsupial
Marsupial
Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young. Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, with the remaining 100 found in the Americas, primarily in South America, but with thirteen in Central...
) who volunteers for the show and later discovers that she is a vampire. Since everyone else thinks only humans can be vampires, she also believes that she is the only non-human vampire in the galaxy. Prior to discovering this, she was motivated into signing up for the show to save Daisy Archanis, a female human CEO who was arrested, tortured, and otherwise coerced onto the show. Daisy works as Jigsaw's lieutenant during the show; while it's clear that Daisy at one point was a friend of Jigsaw's family, their actual relationship is unknown.
The other contestants on the reality show are a mix of volunteers (who signed up for the show willingly for their own reasons) and condemned criminals (who signed up for the show in hopes of receiving a full pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
, and thus freedom), including:
- Jason Spades (a volunteer who seeks to kill Daisy, believing her to be the infamous "Scout Arael" who disgraced the Galaxy Girl Scouts, especially Scout Fenirel)
- Slick Giovanni (the new Don of a Mafia-esque organization / leather-smuggling operation in planet Arael's city of Third Jerusalem, who was framed for his father's death)
- Adharia Kuvoe (Another volunteer and a warrior princess from a "savage" planet, which is unaffiliated with the rest of the galaxy)
- Silk of the Solar Winds, aka White Noise (An elderly hacker who has been serving a life sentence for crimes committed while enlisted in the Star Org)
There are also several characters among the staff of Last Res0rt, such as Cypress Vaeo (the producer and co-commentator of the show) and her family, as well as several characters who have their own agendas such as Veled (the "First Wing" in command of Celigo's Military, and believed to be the Messiah of the Endless), as well as several Galaxy Girl Scouts from various planets who have appeared on the show. Jigsaw's parents are also on their way to Last Res0rt Station, and are motivated to pull Jigsaw off the show.
External links
- Last Res0rt
- "FUR-ther" article by Anna Weltner, for the December 8, 2008 issue of the New Times SLO