1 {scene: Kyros at home in his tower of magical research.}
1 [sound]: Knock! Knock! {Kyros looks up from a book he is reading: Magus Incendia pro Baro}
2 Charity Collector Guy: I'm collecting for the Fire Wizards with no Self-Control Benefit Fund.
3 Kyros: I am a fire wizard... {flicks a small flame from his finger to demonstrate}
3 Charity Collector Guy: Ho ho! Is that the best you can do?
4 Charity Collector Guy: {scorched} Oh...
4 Death of Insanely Overpowered Fireballs: KYROS IS THE CHARTER MEMBER.

Andrew Bird, who won the art contest earlier this year also submitted this piece. Again, I couldn't fit it into the current story arc, so consider this a slice of Kyros' life before he joined the current adventuring gang.

I thought a brief interlude would be appropriate after the last fantasy strip. :-)

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2016-04-15 Rerun commentary: Oooh, this is very apropos right now!

Andrew Bird's original artwork for this strip is available, right now, to any fan who wants to acquire it, perhaps to frame and display proudly on your wall. It is being offered as a reward on one of the pledge levels on my Kickstarter for the first Irregular Webcomic! print collection book. As of this rerun going live, it is still available.

You can check out the Kickstarter here, perhaps buy a book of my collected Fantasy comics, and maybe even get the original art for this strip!

Thanks very much to Andrew for offering his artwork (and yes, I'll be passing some of the proceeds to him. Or at least trying to - he's been far too modest and undemanding so far!).