CHAPTER 1, PT. 4 - 03 (Patreon)

[051022 EDIT - I realized that uploading the comic page directly from my iPad completely borked the quality of the image!  I've just reuploaded the page to hopefully fix the problem :P ]

KISMET Lore dump: The vast distances between different city-states within the Verge means that there is little overarching government to regulate individual worlds. Instead, laws are upheld by local governments, and can vary greatly between different city-states. Commonly, local administrations take a very hands-off approach to governance—choosing instead to adopt a more anarcho-libertarian style of government. This affords most denizens of the Verge a great deal of individual freedom, at the cost of needing to pay for everything out of pocket. In recent decades, the Ordana has established numerous outposts within the Verge as a part of a socio-economic outreach program to grant some of the Verge’s poorer inhabitants access to healthcare, basic nutrition, and microfinancing. Despite drawing protest from some of the wealthy elite (who view the outposts as a liability to neighboring property values), the Ordana’s outreach programs are considered a lifeline to the Verge’s underserved working-class.