Soon after Starscream: The Big Deceit, the saga of Seeds Of Deception continues, with a new Short Story: it's Bludgeon in "The Balance, Crack'd".

Story by me, art by Lau, edits by J. Z. and project by Peter.

Visit Lau's DA page for some unlettered art.
Read the entire story so far in the tfw2005 gallery: SoD: Starscream.
Main project thread.

 

great story!! i really enjoy reading the SoD story you have made because of the way you flush out all of the characters and not just the "main" ones. amazing job

 

whoa- the art is awesome. a great 'fleshing' of characters. transformers should not be soley about a handful of good and bad characters. all characters need limelight and i am greatful that you are providing this

 

awesome
I like "all manners of violence" lol and the top right panel of page three especially.
the story kept my brain bubbling too as I read, it was like everything made you also think of something else, very cool

Too bad the IDW ones arent as good as stuff like this lately.

 

Some notes.

Page 1.

The title is a paraphrase of "The mirror, crack'd".

This story takes place after War Within: The Age Of Wrath and "Full Metal Contact".

Bludgeon's group (composed by Iguanus, Finback, Skullgrin and Bomb-Burst) is the same featured in Stormbringer.

The Tyrest Agreement was first mentioned in Spotlight: Ultra Magnus.

The background are inspired to the War For Cybertron locations.

Bludgeon mentions "Dark Science", in a nod to his activities in The War Within: The Dark Ages. It seems that he is not working anymore with his old partners Bugly and Mindwipe, though.

The not-yet-Pretender featured in this story (minus Bludgeon) evolved from Primitive mechs. It is not clear, though, if they emerged from the Infiltration Batch.

Bomb-Burst's secret nature will be revealed in SoD: Ratbat. More details in Bomb-burst's tech specs.

Why is Finback a fish-like creature? The answer will come in his upcoming Short Story.

Fistfight created the Horrorcons? Actually, the SnapDragon Arena Betting Card showed a 'bot who apparently had just one alt mode.

Page 2.

The final fate of the Balance Staff will be revealed in the final Act of SoD: Sentinel Prime.

Bludgeon has gained his Stormbringer look.

This event takes place before Spotlight: Shockwave and the flashbacks of Spotlight: Soundwave.


Page 3.

And now Iguanus, Finback, Skullgrin and Bomb-Burst have evolved in their Stormbringer forms as well.

Shockwave's thery about the Gladiator Protoform is described in the Gladiator Tech File.

Is Bludgeon telling the truth about the metamorphosis that just took place? Or did the Balance Staff malfunction?
Maybe he is lying, but, like a tv preacher, he can be very persuasive, especially with people who fell prey of his cult.
Bludgeon is also known for believing in sympathetic magic (see Stormbringer): maybe he believes in what he is saying).

Is the Balance Staff gone forever?
It would seem that the Artifacts, once destroyed, are ultimately meant to sublimate back to their source, where they'll wait to be evocated again.

 

Page 3 was updated with new dialogues for Finback.
This is due to the fact that his personal Short Story will be coming very soon!