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Capn Charlie
Senior Scribe
USA
418 Posts |
 Posted - 20 May 2004 : 07:35:12
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Well, I have always found the key to a great story being "real" characters. Not the hastily drawn caricatures that seem to be flung about, nor the sad little angst factories that try to pretend that beating the crap out of a charactor makes them able to be identified with.
I like it when there is enough information presented for me to guage the current mental state of a charecter, and many authors either just discount it completely or have long drawn out expositions, when just a little inner monologue here and there would do.
I can personally deal with the most improbable of settings for a story, and inconsistent plots, as long as the charecter is high quality. And Jack, for some inexplicable reason, just seems to have the right material to be a character I could care about. And for some other reason I see him in my mind as Scott Baccula. PErhaps it is the similarity of the name with his new character on enterprise, but i jsut see it as more of a feeling that Scott could just play this guy well.
I really dig a character that has a lot going on upstairs, and it is made all the more enjoyable by me if it is a "warts and all" character that actually has the flaws and imperfections that make them seem more human to me... as long as they don't seem contrived.
AS another unrelated sidenote, there are actually a lot of detractors for quality fanfiction? Really!? Now I find that is just... not right. I am the first to admit the bulk of fan fiction(like people in general, and pretty much anything) is mostly crap. But I deem it crap on a item by item basis, not wholesale condemning it.
One of the things I love about dnd having campaign settings liek the realms is that it allows me to skip the "boring parts" and get down to the real fun of making great npcs, and characters and not have to worry about all the really big stuff. But then again I love dealing with the little minutae.
The gods are in the details afterall, but sometimes while it is good to know what is in the hot dogs one need not actually do the making of them. And much Like Aspryn and co. proved with the Thieves World series, a shared setting can really work if done right. |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 20 May 2004 : 10:52:41
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Originally posted by Capn Charlie
Bookwyrm, Kudos on the latest installment. A bit scant, but much better than what I have written for you, so I am still in your debt.
Thanks. I assume you meant that you had laid out some guesses as to what was going to come next?
As to shortness, well, again, I wanted to describe things. There won't be any "action" for a while, I'm afraid.
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I have to wonder however, how is Jack going to cope with the reality of his situation? I have been reading the Covenent books lately, and it brngs up a few concerns. Why does he just seem to blindly accept his situation? I know I for one would assume I was trapped in some horrible(or wonderful for me) dream.
Obviously, Mr. Charles, you haven't read the homework.   (Go read the end of part four, on page four.)
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Also, we are going to see some nasty side effects of the memory transferrance right? IT would be interesting to see his struggle to remain sane in the face of his situation, and these alien memories.
The memories are facts only, and it's the first thing I fudged, anyway. I couldn't waste time having him learn how to cast magic, so I had to get him to absorb spell power and knowledge from the guy. It's a way for me to justify the Spellcraft ranks, as well as a single solitary Knowledge (arcana) rank. Jack doesn't know who the archmage was, if he had a blond-haired pregnant wife, a king's ransom in rubies, or even a goldfish in fishbowl.
Jack's just going to have flashes of things magic-related every so often. That's all, and even that will get absorbed into his own pool of knowledge. There won't be any "other personality" to take over, if that's what you were wondering.
(Incidentally, I originally planned for him to get body-swapped with someone, and possibly have that person's mind come out of a coma after a while. I abandoned that when I decided Jack was going to be focused on his fencer abilities, which meant that for them to work right, he'd have to be in his own body, with his own reflexes.)
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IF you chose a marginally intelligent familiar, or chose a more powerful one(a pseudo dragon would be nice) it would be interesting for him to be able to pick up a few basics of things on the way, without having to divert stage time to long conversations with npcs about "basic" things that might bog down play.
I can tell you're not going to enjoy how he gets the familiar.  He's going to have a "long conversation" with an NPC before he finds the animal that becomes his familiar.
But you don't have to be worrying about gameplay. The moment the PbeM starts, Jack solidifies as a ready-for-action PC around a week after this all started. In that time, he's found out where his is, gotten an opinion on why he has magic (which turns out to be slightly wrong, but Jack doesn't know it, of course), gotten his familiar, and met at least one other future party member.
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I would also be greatly interested with his adventures near mulhorand, but more from selfish reaons.
Too bad for you that he's not going to Mulhorand for a long, long time -- if ever. 
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Have you also taken any thoughts toward the differences of present diseases and such? I doubt he has any immunities to a lot of the more common diseases. And it would be a shame for him to wipe out the heartlands with a new strain of flu, or die from gorgon pox. While it might slow down the game, it might just be interesting to see him think of this, and be downright appalled at some of the sanitary conditions present in a pseudo medievil society. And A torche cul is NOT charmin.
But I tend to focus on the little things at times.
Don't worry -- I do too. Which should be rather obvious with this story. I like the detail, and the whole point of this story -- honestly -- was to explore the detail by inserting someone that knew nothing about the Realms or D&D. So that could irritate some people [cough]Artalis[/cough] who just want to skip to the juicy parts and see Jack run a few villains through and have girls fall in his arms. 
As for diseases, I haven't forgotten them. In point of fact, in an old notebook (you can tell it's old because it's a hardcopy) of general notes, the words "Remember diseases!" is right at the top.
I can promise that in the real Jack Archer story that Mr. Greenwood suggested, illnesses will be mentioned. However, medical knowledge is at a post-Pasteur age there, so the importance of hygiene is known (if not understood by most people).
However, I can't say much more than that, since this is a project I'm going into with a hope of publishing right from the start. So that means no gabbing about it on a public forum. 
So let's stick to the Realms for now. I seem to be finding other things I've had to fudge that I don't pay attention to anymore. This is one of them. The reason is I just can't afford Jack getting laid up in Waterdeep, or having said city fall victim to influenza. I may or may not have him get allergy symptoms, and perhaps a few instances of some sickness. However, once again, I can't afford it unless Sage actually gets Jack infected. So until further notice, Jack has no particular Fortitude penalty to Faerunian bacteria, and other people have the same situation with his germs. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 20 May 2004 : 11:18:36
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quote:
Originally posted by Capn Charlie
I like it when there is enough information presented for me to guage the current mental state of a charecter, and many authors either just discount it completely or have long drawn out expositions, when just a little inner monologue here and there would do.
It's interesting that you like Jack, then. I'd been thinking that Jack's thought-pauses were far too long, but hadn't been able to find a way to shorten them without changing them too much.
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I can personally deal with the most improbable of settings for a story, and inconsistent plots, as long as the charecter is high quality. And Jack, for some inexplicable reason, just seems to have the right material to be a character I could care about. And for some other reason I see him in my mind as Scott Baccula. PErhaps it is the similarity of the name with his new character on enterprise, but i jsut see it as more of a feeling that Scott could just play this guy well.
Thanks again. 
Regarding Captain Jonathan Archer, I was wondering when someone would mention that. I didn't plan that one though. Just happened.
And as for the actor, Scott Bakula, he might have been able to play Jack . . . when he was half his current age, anyway. He's turning fifty later this year, while Jack Archer's only 21. You'll have to aim further down the age ladder, I'm afraid. (Unlike with women, it's generally harder to make men look younger on the screen.)
Not Orlando Bloom, though, please. Nothing against the actor, it's just that a) Jack's a lot more average-looking than Bloom is, at least from the girlish screams I heard on the opening night of The Return of the King, and b) even if you uglied him up, he'd still be the wrong sort of person to play the character. And he's the only person young enough that I know of -- Access Hollywood isn't on my list of TV shows. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 20 May 2004 : 11:28:15
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Originally posted by Bookwyrm
So let's stick to the Realms for now. I seem to be finding other things I've had to fudge that I don't pay attention to anymore. This is one of them. The reason is I just can't afford Jack getting laid up in Waterdeep, or having said city fall victim to influenza. I may or may not have him get allergy symptoms, and perhaps a few instances of some sickness. However, once again, I can't afford it unless Sage actually gets Jack infected. So until further notice, Jack has no particular Fortitude penalty to Faerunian bacteria, and other people have the same situation with his germs.
Confound it  .
You've just hit upon something that I had been thinking about for a while now, regarding Archer's exposure to the environs of the Realms. I hadn't intended on saying anything, at least for the moment. But since you've mentioned it now, I suppose it would be worthwhile discussing the potential for any type of particular Fort penalty.
Would you care to experiment with this type of ruling in the campaign, or are you just happy leaving Jack as is for the time being?
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 20 May 2004 : 11:41:32
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Well, if you would like it, then I agree. I'm all in favor of making things realistic, so long as it doesn't interfere with the fun. (And Jack dying of mummy rot would not be fun!!!!   )
If you'd like, we can treat it as one of those flaws. It's up to you. Since Fortitude's already his worst save, I don't think I'm likely to be unbiased when it comes to determining vulnerability to Torilian germs.
I did mean to mention that he is going to be a bit fastidious about cleanliness now that he's in the Realms. He was never a neatnick when he was on Earth, but living in a world where most people haven't even theorized about germs, much less detected them, will be a pretty good motivator to make certain that, say, the water he drinks will be either from a fast-running, clear stream, or has been boiled thuroughly. Considering magic's impact on the world (not just clerics' and paladins' healing spells, but nature magic as well), he's likely to go to overkill on this subject, but that's how I would act, and so that's how Jack would as well -- if anything, he's smarter than I am.  (Fortunately, I'm still in charge. ) |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 20 May 2004 : 11:53:31
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quote:
Originally posted by Capn Charlie
Have you also taken any thoughts toward the differences of present diseases and such? I doubt he has any immunities to a lot of the more common diseases. And it would be a shame for him to wipe out the heartlands with a new strain of flu, or die from gorgon pox.
According to Ed's latest posts in the novels section, a single cure disease spell would wipe all harmful bacteria, viruses or pathogens from Jack. He mentions that the only magical resistant disease in the Realms was the one that afflicted Azoun and friends in Cormyr: a Novel. |
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Winterfox
Senior Scribe
895 Posts |
Posted - 20 May 2004 : 12:07:34
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Originally posted by Capn Charlie
AS another unrelated sidenote, there are actually a lot of detractors for quality fanfiction? Really!? Now I find that is just... not right. I am the first to admit the bulk of fan fiction(like people in general, and pretty much anything) is mostly crap. But I deem it crap on a item by item basis, not wholesale condemning it.
Exactly. You'd be surprised -- a lot of elitist arseclowns people think that "writing fanfiction is not 'real' writing" and "you can't get it published, so it's a waste of time" and "all fanfiction is crap, period." I know most fanfiction is crap -- but then, the same applies to original fiction, regardless of genre. Good stuff is hard to find, duh. Quite frankly, I've read a few fanfiction writers whose work I'd cheerfully pay to read, and there are professionally published authors whose work I'd rather burn and fling across the room. |
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Artalis
Senior Scribe
USA
444 Posts |
Posted - 20 May 2004 : 13:36:35
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Originally posted by Bookwyrm
Don't worry -- I do too. Which should be rather obvious with this story. I like the detail, and the whole point of this story -- honestly -- was to explore the detail by inserting someone that knew nothing about the Realms or D&D. So that could irritate some people [cough]Artalis[/cough] who just want to skip to the juicy parts and see Jack run a few villains through and have girls fall in his arms.
Hey! I like the details too. I just wanted more! I want to see Jack first interaction with a non-combative realms persona. Not to mention running into a certain other person *ahem* By the way that certain "secret scroll" has been updated again. |
Artalis
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 20 May 2004 : 13:49:00
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Originally posted by Bookwyrm
Well, if you would like it, then I agree. I'm all in favor of making things realistic, so long as it doesn't interfere with the fun. (And Jack dying of mummy rot would not be fun!!!! )
If you'd like, we can treat it as one of those flaws. It's up to you. Since Fortitude's already his worst save, I don't think I'm likely to be unbiased when it comes to determining vulnerability to Torilian germs.
Give me some time to tinker with the few ideas I worked up earlier, then we'll see where we can go from there .
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Capn Charlie
Senior Scribe
USA
418 Posts |
Posted - 21 May 2004 : 06:53:08
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Thanks. I assume you meant that you had laid out some guesses as to what was going to come next?
I Was referring to my having not written anything to post here as of yet. I have been away from it for a while, and getting back on teh horse is being difficult. As I am sure you know, writing "boxed text" and seat of the pants improv for roleplay are just not the same thing(though they do help!).
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As to shortness, well, again, I wanted to describe things. There won't be any "action" for a while, I'm afraid.
No worries, friend. Some things cannot be rushed, as much as some editors might like to think.
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Obviously, Mr. Charles, you haven't read the homework. (Go read the end of part four, on page four.)
No, I read that, it is just that I thought he accepted it too regularly. And I have dreams that are the things he described them as not being able to be, so maybe that is what threw me off.
Perhaps a scene when he kills his first person, and he has a morally induced breakdown, and seriously take stock of his situation, and perhaps rethink things a bit. Maybe even tdeny the reality of his situation rather than face the killing. For a short while anyway.
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The memories are facts only, and it's the first thing I fudged, anyway. I couldn't waste time having him learn how to cast magic, so I had to get him to absorb spell power and knowledge from the guy. It's a way for me to justify the Spellcraft ranks, as well as a single solitary Knowledge (arcana) rank. Jack doesn't know who the archmage was, if he had a blond-haired pregnant wife, a king's ransom in rubies, or even a goldfish in fishbowl.
Jack's just going to have flashes of things magic-related every so often. That's all, and even that will get absorbed into his own pool of knowledge. There won't be any "other personality" to take over, if that's what you were wondering.
(Incidentally, I originally planned for him to get body-swapped with someone, and possibly have that person's mind come out of a coma after a while. I abandoned that when I decided Jack was going to be focused on his fencer abilities, which meant that for them to work right, he'd have to be in his own body, with his own reflexes.)
Well, I was thinking less of having him taken over, but a few flashes of, shall we say, "less than pleasant" memories surfacing at odd times. Also, a good way to overcome the language barrier is to have him also absorb a language or two. In fact, I was initially assuming that was how he spoke common.
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Too bad for you that he's not going to Mulhorand for a long, long time -- if ever.
Well, as another already suggested, if he learned about the way mulhorand was created, and then saw how egypt like(down to the deity's even!) he might just feel complelled to visit. At least in the second book of that trilogy, anyway.
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Don't worry -- I do too. Which should be rather obvious with this story. I like the detail, and the whole point of this story -- honestly -- was to explore the detail by inserting someone that knew nothing about the Realms or D&D. So that could irritate some people [cough]Artalis[/cough] who just want to skip to the juicy parts and see Jack run a few villains through and have girls fall in his arms.
Glad to know I'm not the only one. I just hope you are able to do it a little better than some authors I have seen. I prefer a narrator to people standing around having conversations with each other for no other reason than to explain things to the reader.
And as for the killing and girls, well, it is a staple of the genre.
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As for diseases, I haven't forgotten them. In point of fact, in an old notebook (you can tell it's old because it's a hardcopy) of general notes, the words "Remember diseases!" is right at the top.
I can promise that in the real Jack Archer story that Mr. Greenwood suggested, illnesses will be mentioned. However, medical knowledge is at a post-Pasteur age there, so the importance of hygiene is known (if not understood by most people).
Well, to a certain extent. I would imagine that a good chunk of hygene knowledge is little better than superstition, like boiling the water to cleanse it with the purifying power of fire, and such. Also, I would imagine many other places might have little or no concept of good hygiene.
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However, I can't say much more than that, since this is a project I'm going into with a hope of publishing right from the start. So that means no gabbing about it on a public forum.
So, when you are a big time, major league author, can I be one of your sycophantic core fans, that passes down your words from on high to the teeming masses of your fanatically devoted fans? OR at least score some sweet autographed books?
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So let's stick to the Realms for now. I seem to be finding other things I've had to fudge that I don't pay attention to anymore. This is one of them. The reason is I just can't afford Jack getting laid up in Waterdeep, or having said city fall victim to influenza. I may or may not have him get allergy symptoms, and perhaps a few instances of some sickness. However, once again, I can't afford it unless Sage actually gets Jack infected. So until further notice, Jack has no particular Fortitude penalty to Faerunian bacteria, and other people have the same situation with his germs.
Hmm... Might be interesting to see some interaction of his wiith his first cleric. I might go so far to say that the cure disease spell not only neutralizes all the dangerous microbes, but actually adds some immunities to minor diseases. As the spell might percieve the lack of said immunities as a sickness in and of itself.
I would also greatly enjoy seeing the way he reacts with said cleric invoking the power of a god for the first time. It would be interesting to see how he deeals with that.
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It's interesting that you like Jack, then. I'd been thinking that Jack's thought-pauses were far too long, but hadn't been able to find a way to shorten them without changing them too much.
Well, they are a bit long, but you are developing a character that will be the main focus of the stories, so the weight of all exposition on his shoulders. Maybe it will be different when he starts having people to talk to. And besides, maybe his personality just lends itself to internal monologue better than others.
Right now though, I am just going to chalk it up to his mind looking for something, anything, to think about other than being stranded...somewhere.
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Thanks again.
You are more than welcome, sir.
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Regarding Captain Jonathan Archer, I was wondering when someone would mention that. I didn't plan that one though. Just happened.
And as for the actor, Scott Bakula, he might have been able to play Jack . . . when he was half his current age, anyway. He's turning fifty later this year, while Jack Archer's only 21. You'll have to aim further down the age ladder, I'm afraid. (Unlike with women, it's generally harder to make men look younger on the screen.)
Not Orlando Bloom, though, please. Nothing against the actor, it's just that a) Jack's a lot more average-looking than Bloom is, at least from the girlish screams I heard on the opening night of The Return of the King, and b) even if you uglied him up, he'd still be the wrong sort of person to play the character. And he's the only person young enough that I know of -- Access Hollywood isn't on my list of TV shows.
I was thinking more of a much younger Bakula. There is just something in way Scott speaks, and his mannerisms that makes me think of him. I agree though, no Bloom. |
Shadows of War: Tales of a Mercenary
My first stab at realms fiction, here at candlekeep. Stop on by and tell me what you think. |
Edited by - Capn Charlie on 21 May 2004 08:51:17 |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 21 May 2004 : 12:36:00
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quote:
Originally posted by Capn Charlie
I Was referring to my having not written anything to post here as of yet. I have been away from it for a while, and getting back on teh horse is being difficult. As I am sure you know, writing "boxed text" and seat of the pants improv for roleplay are just not the same thing(though they do help!).
Actually, I don't. Never been a DM.
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No, I read that, it is just that I thought he accepted it too regularly. And I have dreams that are the things he described them as not being able to be, so maybe that is what threw me off.
Perhaps a scene when he kills his first person, and he has a morally induced breakdown, and seriously take stock of his situation, and perhaps rethink things a bit. Maybe even tdeny the reality of his situation rather than face the killing. For a short while anyway.
Well, I've never had a dream that took place with all five senses, a feeling a gravity, and full color. I've had dreams that I've actually brought myself out of by checking for all of those.
However, I have had dreams with limited symbol-recognition. That is, I could see the shape of an A and know what it was, what it stood for, and what it sounded like. Since that's not supposed to happen, I'm fully open to other people being able to do similar things with the other aspects.
However, in Jack's case, he has three options. He doesn't like the idea that he might be crazy, so he's ignoring that. Besides, it's like the second option, that of a dream: not much to do about it, so you might as well make it number three. And that's the possiblitity that it's real.
And Jack's a pretty practical guy. He's not the type to be pacing in indecision (as I often am ). He's unsettled by all of this, but he's not about to deny what's happening.
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Also, a good way to overcome the language barrier is to have him also absorb a language or two. In fact, I was initially assuming that was how he spoke common.
Yes, Sage suggested that. However, I thought that languages, even a trade language like Common, would be too complex to pick up more than a word or two here and there. Mostly he'll get a sense of the meaning of things, but that's like the difference between comprehend languages and tongues. Besides, the speech center of the brain is distinct from the part we use for symbol comprehension. Look it up in your psycology or anatomy text. That's how Jack will understand the difference between those spells.
So you see, there's the difference with the Spellcraft ranks, as compared to the Knowledge (arcana) rank. I may even take that Knowledge rank away. Even so, it's a lot more difficult than Spellcraft; Spellcraft is something you recognize, whereas Knowledge (arcana) you have to think about.
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Well, as another already suggested, if he learned about the way mulhorand was created, and then saw how egypt like(down to the deity's even!) he might just feel complelled to visit. At least in the second book of that trilogy, anyway.
No trilogies. This is just a glorifiied campaign log. I'm also not taking him anywhere that's not in Sage's campaign, and while I don't know much about it anyway, I can guess that an extended stay in Mulhorand isn't part of it.
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Glad to know I'm not the only one. I just hope you are able to do it a little better than some authors I have seen. I prefer a narrator to people standing around having conversations with each other for no other reason than to explain things to the reader.
::rolls eyes:: A habit I want to break my brother from. He doesn't do it as much anymore, but in his first real story, sometimes characters would be just too dumb so that they'd ask questions that they ought to already know the answers to, just so the reader knew as well.
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And as for the killing and girls, well, it is a staple of the genre.
Well, he might have that happen sometime. At the very least, he'll be meeting a very pretty girl. Of course, she's a bit more than she seems . . . . (And that's all I'm saying. )
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Well, to a certain extent. I would imagine that a good chunk of hygene knowledge is little better than superstition, like boiling the water to cleanse it with the purifying power of fire, and such. Also, I would imagine many other places might have little or no concept of good hygiene.
Well, suffice it to say that the mages have a good understanding of it, especially life mages. And they've convinced people that it's a good idea not to wade through filth and to use soap and all that. And while the lay people might not know much about the whys of it all, they know it works.
And that's true in most societies. Do you have to know exactly how your car works to know that if you don't pump gas in it it won't move?
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So, when you are a big time, major league author, can I be one of your sycophantic core fans, that passes down your words from on high to the teeming masses of your fanatically devoted fans? OR at least score some sweet autographed books?
Suckup.
I can't promise anything, since I don't know when, if ever, I'll be published. But I'll tell you this: I ain't forgetting Candlekeep, or the people in it. 
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I would also greatly enjoy seeing the way he reacts with said cleric invoking the power of a god for the first time. It would be interesting to see how he deeals with that.
That's something he'll wrestle with a bit.
Since it won't be until after the PbeM starts, though, I don't know exactly how it will turn out, only that he'll conclude that their magic isn't really divine in nature.
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Right now though, I am just going to chalk it up to his mind looking for something, anything, to think about other than being stranded...somewhere.
You're pretty close. But he does think a lot, anyway. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Artalis
Senior Scribe
USA
444 Posts |
Posted - 25 May 2004 : 19:13:40
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Sorry to have to ask this again but what exactly does Jack look like...I remember what clothes he's wearing, but some of the other details elude me.
Height, weight, eyes and hair specifically.
Thanks. I need it because I'm at the campfire scene. :) |
Artalis
Email
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Capn Charlie
Senior Scribe
USA
418 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2004 : 08:27:49
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quote:
Originally posted by Bookwyrm
Distance is, again, another thing to fudge. If the other characters mention feet, inches, miles, etc., Jack's going to have a problem there -- or rather, I will. Now, a foot is based on the length of a grown man's foot (though apparently while wearing boots). A yard is the distance from that same man's nose to his outstretched thumb. So that can also be fudged -- convergent evolution of ideas, if not something actually carried from earth.
The length of a mile is from the Roman stadia, which is old enough that I might consider it to have transfered as well, though Roman ideas aren't exactly all over Faerun. And magic certainly didn't catch on much in Rome, so there couldn't have been much transfer, if any. The Romans weren't exactly the best inventors, but they jumped on anything remotely useful that someone else thought up. So since there was little mention of personal magic in Roman legends (the Greek ones had much more), I'd have to say it didn't transfer more than a minor spellcaster or two. Even as hard as magic is to work on Jack's Earth, the Romans would have been bent on getting more magic if they had known much about it.
I am not sure why, but for some reason I have been thinking about this a bit, and as long as you don't mind increasing the groamn factor a bit for the well read, I might have a solution for the mile measurement.
IN Weis and Hickman's Deathgate cycle there is a world with elves as the technologically superior race, thus they have essentially led the field in engineering, science and such. A unit of length for them is something like a menska, or something similar, that is supposed to translate as "1 thousand elven hunters", and so is approximately 6000 feet.
IF you wer to feel comfortable with elves having signifigant influence on science, or at least measuring distances as they wer ethe original pathfinders. 1000 Faerûnian elves is pretty dang close to a mile, and as such might work.
I could see a gold elf with a french accent inventing something close to the metric system using "the perfect symmetry of the elven form" as measurements.
But then again I am a chronic insomniac running on far too little sleep, and even less coffee, so that might be skewed. |
Shadows of War: Tales of a Mercenary
My first stab at realms fiction, here at candlekeep. Stop on by and tell me what you think. |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2004 : 14:46:11
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quote:
Originally posted by Artalis
Sorry to have to ask this again but what exactly does Jack look like...I remember what clothes he's wearing, but some of the other details elude me.
Height, weight, eyes and hair specifically.
Thanks. I need it because I'm at the campfire scene. :)
I don't believe you ever asked it before (just what he was wearing), so don't worry. If anyone should appologize, it's me, for not coming around sooner. I've just been a bit busy.
Jack is pretty much a WASP -- that's a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, for those who don't know. Tack on male and you have the "elite" for a distressingly large amount of U.S. history. Most of our presidents have been WASPs as well, which I find a bit odd, considering the Democratic Party's diversity platform. Of course, people like Senators Kerry and Kennedy claim to be Catholic, but trust me, they can't be.
*Ahem* Sorry. That's just one of the things that really get on my nerves.
To the point. Jack is very Anglo-Saxon in apearance, with darkish brown hair (short but wavey, with a bit of a widow's peak), green eyes, and everything else about his face very ordinary. His chin might charitably be called strong, but that's about it.
He has long fingers, arms, and legs, with just enough muscle mass to keep him from looking gangly and thin. He stands close to six feet, four inches (ninety-three centimeters), and weighs about a hundred eighty-eight pounds (eighty-five and a half kilograms).
I'll mention his clothes again, just in case. He's wearing dark grey boots and a light grey cloak. The cloak is swept back so that he can wear his backpack. These appear normal to any Faerunian viewer, but just about everything else is odd. He is wearing dark blue jeans, with a belt just thin enough to go through the loops. On it hang his finely-made rapier (left hand side) and a plain dagger (right); the dagger is alchemically treated with silver, but that's not appearent. On his right leg is strapped (in a Velcro-fastened sheath ) two throwing knives he picked up at the Faire. He also has a wide-brimmed hat made of a swede-like material that is supposed to suggest "Musketeer," or perhaps that hat Orlando Bloom had at the end of Pirates, just with less of a rakish look. (And minus the huge feather. His fake one got scorched.) And finally, a plain white T-shirt, since I can't think of anything to put on it that's actually worth describing.
As for how he's acting, he looks tired and worn, but clean-shaven. His movements are sure and quick, if not exactly graceful. He'll examine everything in sight, looking almost like he's grading the people he sees -- which isn't far from the truth.
Beyond that, I'll let you know if anything needs changing.
As for the rest of you . . . I guess you'll have to wait to find out what's going on here. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2004 : 14:49:28
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| And Cap'n Charlie, while I appreciate the suggestion, I don't think I'll use it. (Clever idea, though. I actually like it. ) |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
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Artalis
Senior Scribe
USA
444 Posts |
Posted - 27 May 2004 : 16:57:14
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Thanks BW now I can get back to work! hehehehe
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Artalis
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 28 May 2004 : 08:13:36
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Artalis, if it's possible, could you send me your most recent character work-up? It doesn't matter whether the fluff or background details still need to be tied in with Jack Archer... I can work on a lot of the material that has been presented both here, and from other sources...
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Artalis
Senior Scribe
USA
444 Posts |
Posted - 29 May 2004 : 06:59:38
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
Artalis, if it's possible, could you send me your most recent character work-up? It doesn't matter whether the fluff or background details still need to be tied in with Jack Archer... I can work on a lot of the material that has been presented both here, and from other sources...
On the way Sage and all 20 pages of background story that I've been able to get thru so far.
I hope it's entertaining enough for you to read. :)
Cheers,
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Artalis
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Winterfox
Senior Scribe
895 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jun 2004 : 14:02:46
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| Hi, Bookwyrm. I've found a small rant/essay about the whole "modern person goes to fantasy world" thing. I thought you might find it interesting. |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jun 2004 : 05:27:02
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Sounds like these people need more authors who think about the details.
Thanks for the link, and if I can ever figure out how to post there I'll let them know about Jack -- both this version and what I can tell of the real story that I hope to get published. I couldn't help but notice that every single point in the initial post is something I've considered in my stories. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Winterfox
Senior Scribe
895 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jun 2004 : 10:28:16
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| Click here to post a comment. |
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Artalis
Senior Scribe
USA
444 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jun 2004 : 04:11:44
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I have to say I am just shy of posting my characters introduction.
The wait is killing me!
What do you think Bookwyrm? To post or not to post... That is the question. I wonder if keeping the character's background a secret will have any impact on the game at all?
What do the rest of you think? Does anyone actually care enough to read it? |
Artalis
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Wood Elf Ranger
Senior Scribe
USA
627 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jun 2004 : 04:47:44
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POST! POST! POST!
*raises hand* I want to read it! |
~Lee N.
"Breaktime yes?!.. Yes?.. Maybe?.. Noo, baaack to work.." -Grovel the Goblin from NWN: HotU |
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Artalis
Senior Scribe
USA
444 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jun 2004 : 05:30:47
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| WOW that's pretty emphatic. I am thrilled to have such a receptive audience...lemme see if a few others are for it and what Bookwyrm thinks. If I don't post it here though I'll send you the link to where I have it posted WER ok? So don't despair. |
Artalis
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Wood Elf Ranger
Senior Scribe
USA
627 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jun 2004 : 05:44:18
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| Sure thing my friend! |
~Lee N.
"Breaktime yes?!.. Yes?.. Maybe?.. Noo, baaack to work.." -Grovel the Goblin from NWN: HotU |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jun 2004 : 08:18:57
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Okay, folks. Here we go.
I've decided to skip ahead wholesale to match up with Artalis' story that much quicker. Therefore, I've skipped over the place where Jack begins his journal. I'm planing on quoting from it when I can, but the book starts with the same entry I started this entire thread with.
Artalis will have his character's side of these events up soon. You are reading it, aren't you?
Chapter Two
Jack cursed softly as he balanced himself in the tree. Hooking one arm around a branch, he attempted to use both hands to adjust the survival tool’s binocular lenses, having just bumped them out of line yet again.
The device was a simple, compact instrument intended for hikers and the like. It had a whistle and mirror for signaling, a compass, and four fold-out lenses that formed a crude set of binoculars. It was that last function that had caused it to be in his bag during his transfer to this new world, as he’d intended to use them to observe the jousting at the Faire from the comfort of the only spot at the arena with shade. The tool didn’t have much magnifying power -- less than 3x -- but was far less bulky than his 30x set at home; and anyway, it compensated for the distance from the action.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t designed for half-hanging out of a tree trying to spy on a campsite in the dark. But it was all Jack had.
It was more than a day since Jack had been yanked into this world; a day that seemed more like a year. Jack’s first night here had been scary, to say the least. He knew nothing about this new world -- only that the star patterns, the moon, and at least some of the plant life was different . . . and that magic actually existed. Or at least some sort of process that could be labeled magic.
During the past day, Jack was reminded again and again of the immortal words of Arthur C. Clarke: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” It was possible that what Jack was mistaking for magic was some sort of highly refined science. He thought of the novels he enjoyed, particularly Christopher Stacheff’s Warlock series. In that one, a future version of Jack’s own Society for Creative Anachronism had founded a medieval-based colony in an uncharted region of the galaxy, wiping their memories in the process so that they could live their dream world. Five hundred years later, magic was being practiced -- broomsticks, shapeshifting, the whole works.
Yet under it all, what was actually being used were psionic powers, not magic. Flying broomsticks and fireballs were just telekinesis -- the first working on the very large, the second on the very small. Shapeshifting and illusions were telepathy so powerful as to fool the minds of any who looked at the “witch” in question.
It could be that the inhabitants of the world Jack was in had actually done the same -- yet that didn’t explain the need for the large spellbook Jack had found in that other wizard’s bag. By simply studying the patterns in the book, Jack had been able to prepare some spells which he had then cast. That seemed to suggest magic rather than psionics. As did the things the spells and magical items he had actually did. Of course, Jack had little to base these conclusions from.
Regardless of magic or science, Jack was in a new world, and he had to deal with that. He had not been looking forward to another night of sleeping in a tree; he’d managed to get to sleep after some time, and slept well passed dawn, but moving about was still a bit painful. So when he had seen the light of a campfire through the trees, Jack had immediately investigated.
The first thing he’d found was that for at least half a day, he’d been paralleling a dirt road that cut through these woods. That had caused some irritation; he could have made much better time in the open than he did amidst the rocks, brambles, and roots. The second thing was that he was definitely in a medieval sort of world.
Jack couldn’t make out much at this distance, but it was hard to mistake the equipment those people carried. There were the horses and wagons, of course, but primarily it was the weaponry that caught his eye. There were four guards, three of whom carried large crossbows and swords. They seemed to have some sort of leather armor, and one even had a round metal shield. The fourth one, the largest of the lot by far, had a huge double-bladed axe strapped to his back, and it looked like two smaller axes on his belt. He had no shield, but unlike the others, his armor glinted dully from either spikes or studs. He seemed in charge, at least of the soldiers, directing two in setting up what looked like defenses while the third was obviously standing watch.
Aside from these guards, there were three others. Two of them Jack had at first mistaken for children, but after observing them at work, had concluded they had to be midgets -- or dwarves, to use the politically correct term. They didn't seem to be the common sort, looking more "normal." Pseudoachondroplasia, if Jack remembered correctly: the type of dwarfism that gave a relative head size closer to human norm. One was working at the campfire, cooking, while the other worked rapidly and with obvious practice at rubbing the horses down, using a small stool to get to all the spots.
The final member of the group was a woman; not a midget, but still on the small side if Jack was judging perspective right. Her dress was plain, but it looked like it was glowing compared to the travel-stained vestments of her companions. She wasn’t doing anything, just sitting at the campfire with the final dwarf. She looked like a noblewoman, but if she was, she had to be minor; she seemed far too fine for the rest of the group. Though that dwarf with the horses seemed to have fancier clothes than his fellows. More brightly-colored, anyway.
Finally, Jack decided he had all the information he was likely to get from this far out, and carefully climbed down. He retrieved the magic bag he’d looted from Len, having left it at the base of the tree, and slowly made his way through the trees to the camp, pulling his cloak’s hood over his face so that his pale skin didn’t reflect the firelight. He didn’t want to announce his presence just yet; instead, he’d hide in the bushes and try to listen in on them, using his new ring to find out more before he committed himself.
Or that was the plan, anyway. Unfortunately for Jack, he stepped on a stick.
Jack froze. You didn’t hear that, he thought at the group. Or if you did, it’s just an animal. No one’s sneaking up on you . . . .
Whatever the supernatural gifts he’d gained in this new world were, telepathy didn’t seem to be among them. The big guard quickly turned in Jack’s direction, saying something to the others. His three fellows immediately pulled out their crossbows and started loading them. The one already on watch finished first, having had his out, and pointed it in the opposite direction. Jack had to admire the man’s discipline; human nature would lead one to look in a direction others were looking in, but this guard had obviously been trained to anticipate surprises.
The big man, his axe in his hand, began advancing to where Jack was hiding. Jack scowled briefly, but there was nothing for it. He twisted the setting on his ring and called out “Hello the camp!”
Momentarily, Jack was confused. Having earlier found a spell that allowed him to understand the normal writing in Len’s books, he’d discovered that the ring he now wore had been a new acquisition for the wizard. He called it a speech-ring, and by twisting the setting it let the wearer speak and understand foreign languages for a limited time. It had been what had allowed Len to speak to Jack; he’d made a note in his journal that it could be activated surreptitiously, which both aided the wizard’s usual activities and explained why Jack hadn’t seen him do it. But the words Jack had just spoke came out in standard American English; perhaps the ring needed recharging somehow?
The big man stopped, and snarled something in his deep, intimidating voice. After a moment, though, the words became understandable. Obviously, the magic only worked after a language unknown to the wearer had been spoken.
“-- hands up, open and empty or ye’ll be a pincushion!”
Jack didn’t think that two crossbow bolts -- or even three, if that other one also fired -- would quite qualify in making him a “pincushion,” but he understood the threat. Jack pushed back his hood and slowly walked to the clearing by the road. He spread his hands out like the man had asked and spoke. “I’m sorry to bother you. I’m just a bit lost, and I was wondering if I might share your fire for the night.”
The words came out in a strange language, the magic ring obviously helping him. Jack couldn’t afford the distraction of listening to himself at the moment, though, so he tried to ignore it and act naturally.
To Be Continued |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Lysander
Learned Scribe
USA
183 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jun 2004 : 17:33:49
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quote:
Originally posted by Bookwyrm
Okay, folks. Here we go.
I've decided to skip ahead wholesale to match up with Artalis' story that much quicker. Therefore, I've skipped over the place where Jack begins his journal. I'm planing on quoting from it when I can, but the book starts with the same entry I started this entire thread with.
Artalis will have his character's side of these events up soon. You are reading it, aren't you?
So there's two Earth-to-Toril characters, albeit only one who "survived" the experience whole? Interesting enough premise anyways - I'm looking forward to reading future instalments.
Having (re)read the whole thread today, I don't remember if only Sage was getting the character stat write-ups, or if it was "public". A "duelist-mage" would be an intersting character - even if not from near-Earth
Lysander |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 08 Oct 2004 : 06:28:09
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Good Morning, Candlekeep.
Goodness gracious, it's been a long time since anyone posted to this scroll.
I’m giving you all an update here, because I figured that if any of you really cared about me being gone, you’d also be the sort of member to click here if the scroll got updated. Plus, most of the update involves Jack, anyway.
I’m continuing at school, of course. Some things aren’t going well. I need to transfer to a full university, but I don’t know if the paperwork will come through before the start of the next semester.
I’ve developed a medical problem that is also interfering with a lot of things; I have a jaw problem (weak socket on one side) that prevents me from difficult chewing. I can’t have a lot of things, now, ranging from all but the thinnest beef to (utter horror!) GummiBears. An older cousin of mine has a similar problem, and she’s had three operations to date. I’m not looking forward to that. Plus, the uneven chewing (and therefore uneven use of muscles) adds to the headaches I always get this time of year. Add that to the fact that I loose my insurance this March (when I turn 23 and am no longer considered a military dependant), and I’m really not having a fun time.
Speaking of becoming an uninsured statistic, there’s the really nasty election season we have now. (Health insurance costs are a talking point, though one candidate -- I won't say who, here -- is exagerating his figures.) This is the ugliest one in at least two generations, folks. Since this isn’t a political forum, I won’t talk about it, save that I’m taking a lot of flak for my political leanings. Of course, many of you either already know what those leanings are or can guess. Either way, this isn’t the place to talk about it. I only mention it because it’s another frustration factor in my life right now. (Why can’t Voltaire be required reading for American schools? So much for "tolerance.")
In better news, I’m also taking my first writing class; everything you’ve seen from me to date is self-taught. Like most people in my position, I know a lot of things already on the lesson plan, and yet haven’t even heard of other points. So far, the class is a net loss for my money, but hopefully I’ll learn more than I have so far.
I submitted a part of the Jack Archer story to the professor, and got a response back today. She said, quote, it is “an interesting start on a fairly predictable theme.” (I’ve asked for clarification on that; I’m wondering if she made the same assumption Winterfox did.) She also said that Jack’s reaction to Len’s magic wasn’t reasonable -- that instead of asking how Len did it, he’d want to get away. Well, that’s how I’d react, and probably her, and probably most of us. But, I told her, Jack over-analyses everything. It’s in character; I just assume she didn’t have enough of a sample to see that.
She did have some good suggestions on how to cut down on my wordiness. (I’m just glad I didn’t submit the full fight; she’d have really had a problem with the way that dragged.) I’ve taken those lessons to heart, and it may be that I’ll do a full rewrite sometime. As it is, I don’t have the time. I don’t think I’ll even have the time to continue the story at the moment, though I might get a bug and start typing anyway -- it’s often how it works, as any writer knows.
For those who might be getting frustrated at the delay, I’ll give you a few things. First, I’m going to make my website public sometime soon, which will have all that’s written here, plus some more, and all without interrupting posts. This thread will then become the place to talk about it; I won’t continue the story here, and I’ll remove the parts posted here (leaving markers so that new readers won’t be confused by shifts in conversation). This site will also have Jack’s character sheet; it of course doesn’t fit the guy I’d really like to use (the version of Jack appearing in the real story I want to write), but it’s the version in the game and this story.
Also, if you’re good and eat all your veggies, I might show you something from the “real Jack Archer story” I keep alluding to. I’m writing up part of it as a short story for this class. Now, I don’t know if I’ll make it a public airing. If I do, I can’t answer a lot of questions about where this Jack Archer is, what he’s doing, or what’s going on beyond the immediate action. In fact, several things are cut out of this part; one whole character has been removed. (Namely, the familiar Jack gets, counterpart of the one the D&D version has. Too complex an introduction for this, I think.)
Okay, that’s my update. If y’all miss me, I’m sorry, and I’ll see about coming back soon. If not, well, you probably aren’t reading this anyway, so to the Abyss with you. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Capn Charlie
Senior Scribe
USA
418 Posts |
Posted - 08 Oct 2004 : 07:00:07
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I am both glad you have returned, and saddened by your personal news. However, I await the next portion just as eagerly as I always have.
Hopefully things will turn out better in the future, and most of all, welcome back. |
Shadows of War: Tales of a Mercenary
My first stab at realms fiction, here at candlekeep. Stop on by and tell me what you think. |
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Wood Elf Ranger
Senior Scribe
USA
627 Posts |
Posted - 08 Oct 2004 : 08:55:41
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| Ahh so thats what you've been up to. School sure does drain the time. But it is good as well learning new things is always very good. I hope all goes well, know that my thoughts and prayers will be with you. |
~Lee N.
"Breaktime yes?!.. Yes?.. Maybe?.. Noo, baaack to work.." -Grovel the Goblin from NWN: HotU |
Edited by - Wood Elf Ranger on 08 Oct 2004 08:56:15 |
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Jack Archer of Earth
