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Well i over guessed by two days, but im back and should be able to join in when you start. Now its time for me to go open presents ...


-Dark

I'm considering joining. At the very least, I'm going to *ahem* 'overhear' about the whole affair at the Tavern, if you get my meaning.

I plan to start today, quite soon actually. At the moment, I just realized I don't have the faintest idea what name to use for the TS.

Maybe you should call it "The Sword of Heracles", a take-off from the Sword of Heros in the game. Or Hercules, whichever you prefer, but Heracles is the Greek version and Hercules the Latin one.

Avatara, on Dec 23 2006, 02:28 PM, said:

is that why you're still here?

Selax, on Dec 27 2006, 12:56 PM, said:

Sword of

This post has been edited by iKaterei: 27 December 2006 - 04:27 PM

(in an accusing tone) You read the plotline, didn't you?

This post has been edited by CrazyChick: 27 December 2006 - 04:17 PM

yes. sorry, it's fixed.

Well, I ended up using a name suggested by Wizard, so it's a moot point now. Okay, everyone, the TS is started; I encourage you all to join and enjoy yourselves.

I was busy this week, so I totally missed this topic.

No matter! Just have your character catch up with the group a little later. The TS is still young and completely open to anybody that wants to join.

You could even claim that we just didn't notice you yet!

The Wizard, on Dec 29 2006, 02:06 PM, said:

Indeed, feel free to join anytime, Buzzzzy.

Looks like this topic is on track to be the next OoC discussion. I haven't been paying attention too closely, so I've got a couple of questions:

1. Does this story (and the Ruffian Encampment one) follow chronologically after Witch Hunt?

2. If so, how much time (approximately) in the world has passed since the end of WH?

Yes to the first (I think) and I'm not quite sure (yet anyway) on the second, probably at least one to three months...

Avatara, on Dec 30 2006, 12:38 PM, said:

So far as I know:
1. Yes

2. Not very much, probably around a couple of months. Ruffian Encampment was not supposed to take very long Cythera-time, and it wasn't too long in the Tavern before the next TS began.

Hmm, somewhat off-topic but the TS doesn't have an OoC topic, I'm really uncertain what to say to cache's post; typically, I do my upmost to incorporate the TS continuities into mine but apparently I missed some of cache's. In my continuity, the elementals wake up and fight a long war with the DK. At this time, the lead elementals, some of the other high-ranking elementals, and Selax urged making the Sword. The Seldane found the Sword in the ruins of Mayer and hid it from the others. The best explanation that I can come up with is that this war was so far in the past and the effects so horrible that war and weapons were banned, and, gradually over time, the elementals had completely forgotten them by the time the Ronin came.

This post has been edited by Selax: 12 January 2007 - 01:32 AM

Which still leaves the question of Sabinate, which was the only really concrete clue they had - the rest was all hearsay.

Also, in my continuity, the very purpose for the existence of the Cytheran quarantine zone (the protection of the Tempus stone) would preclude any interaction with the Chimera and the Deathking until long after the the first elementals appeared.

Although, that could be adjusted if the quarantine was established after that war. Which brings us back to Sabinate.

Well, the manuscript was written when the Sword was found, in the time of Sabinate; hence, he is included in the ancestry. It was also partially a way to identify the first ruling Seldane as his ancestor.

EDIT: the DK is also partially responsible for the corruption of the elements. I have had this idea that he arrived prior to their awakening and attempted to corrupt them. This corruption later germinated in the Ignae, Sylph, and Undine, although it was too late for the DK to win his war and they mostly refuse to serve him. (He played some part in the wars from his prison by exerting what influence he had). At least, that was part of my ideas, although I don't know if it will remain.

This post has been edited by Selax: 12 January 2007 - 01:45 AM

One more loose end: Kronos. The arrival of the Ronin triggered new potential timelines, and Kronos' reaction to that was as if he'd never encountered that before.

I'd already decided that there is a limit to how far forward Kronos can go, for reasons that will become clear if I ever get around to writing that particular chronicle; there could similarly be a limitation on how far back Kronos' influence and knowledge extends. If Kronos was sent to Cythera at the same time the quarantine zone was established, that could then impose a barrier on him.

That would unfortunately place Kronos outside of the true Cytheran elemental pantheon, which I'm not too happy about, but it would solve your problem.

Hmm, I had thought of something like that. My idea was that Selax and his kind annoyed Kronos because of their constant blinking in and out of the reality and interfering with the timeline. Is it possible that the DK could cast some sort of shadow that Kronos has trouble seeing through? Then, Kronos could have been there at the beginning but not always able to see? (I have no desire to interfere with your continuity or characters; it is mainly to create a unified continuity for my personal preference that I try to incorporate others into mine. I don't expect anyone else to necessarily accept mine.)

This post has been edited by Selax: 12 January 2007 - 02:06 AM

Selax, on Jan 12 2007, 08:05 PM, said:

I don't think that would work. Each act of interference by the DK would set up several extra alternate timelines, and probably change the true timeline greatly. Those are effects that couldn't be hidden from Kronos.

When I woke up this morning, I realised there were several points in the TS that still need to be considered.

The first thing that occurred to me is that we've had the Undine acting out of character. We've gotten caught up with them being beings of great power and very difficult to kill, and have forgotten how they were shown to act in the game, the only true source of canon we have. In the game they worked by stealth, subterfuge and manipulation, working to win through diabolical plots rather than brute force. If they wanted someone out of the way, they'd simply drown them, whether or not there was any water nearby. The most overt action they took was using Omen to coach 'Bellerophon'.

The second point is also a question. Selax, is there something special about your character's swords that enables him to kill Undine? I don't think it matters for the one killed in the duel, since it could be said that his insanity wouldn't allow him to survive what would have been a mortal wound, but what about the one Cat fought? I'm trying to tally up how many Undine really died, as it has a bearing on point three.

Which is this: for each Undine killed, there would be consequences. The balance would be upset, and would need to be restored - meaning that an equal number of Seldane need to die.

Point four: Alaric, as enforcer of the balance, would be aware of each death, so I suspect he'll be summoning the whole group to Land King Hall to explain their actions, and so he'd be made aware of the sword, if he wasn't already.

Point five: Alaric would then take it upon himself to decide what to do with the sword, as it represents a danger to the balance. I can think of three possiblilities at the moment, none of which are very satisfying (to me, at least) - I really hope someone can come up with a better idea.

First, he might choose to leave it with Sideline, since he hates the thing and wouldn't want to use it much. However, I don't think I want Sideline to suddenly obtain that much power, no matter how reluctant he is to use it.

Second, he might direct that it be placed in the care of the Ronin, since they're already familiar with lesser weapons of that nature, and their expected lifespan is about ten times longer than Sideline's. I like this idea least of the three.

Third, he might keep it himself, as protector of the balance. That's probably the most reasonable course of action, so far.

Does anyone have another alternative?

is it possible to destroy the sword, and what would happen in that case?

Good point, that might be the best option of all. *visions of a LotR-type quest to Lands End Volcano... *

cache22, on Jan 12 2007, 01:52 PM, said:

Hmm, good points; what I had imagined the Undine as doing in this TS was using the group to find the Sword for them. However, at times, some of them lose their patience and attempt to jump in ahead of time, such as by kidnapping Retsy.

Actually, in this TS, it's Ignae who has been really clever. (This, it seems to me, was hinted at in the game but never really explored.)

cache22, on Jan 12 2007, 01:52 PM, said:

Well, the only thing that I can really come up with is an ability that DF gave Selax in one his posts in Echoes: that he can enchant his swords. Perhaps, because Selax is something of an elemental himself, this enables him to injure them? Are the Undine immune to magic/enchanted weapons?

cache22, on Jan 12 2007, 01:52 PM, said:

This is too something I had forgotten. Since there are only five Seldane, wouldn't it be impossible to be able to kill an equal number? Maybe Jhiaxus could perish?

cache22, on Jan 12 2007, 01:52 PM, said:

I think that Alaric already knows about it, since the group stopped by LKH earlier in the story.

I've had some thoughts on the subject. What I had thought of was that the Seldane's plan in this was to let the group get the Sword and take it to Alaric, which they could then use to sway Balance in their favor (since they like the Undine care mostly about their own interests). The two options that I had thought up were that the group either destroys the Sword or gives to Magpie (so that it can be found later if it is needed); however, I don't know how well either of these works and am beginning to lean toward something Jehezekel suggested on #cythera. Could the Sword be given to Kronos for safekeeping? I shall probably use this, at least temporarily, in my post. I'll edit it to match whatever choice is reached.


On the subject of continuity, perhaps the DK's tampering with the elementals somehow caused Kronos to "sleep" longer than they and the war caused enough damage to prolong this sleep? Then, after the war, someone brings the Tempus stone (one of the only artifacts powerful enough to block the DK and Chimaera) to Cythera, establishing the quarantine and enabling Kronos to wake up. This also could establish a barrier that he has difficulty seeing through, although the destruction of the Stone may have removed this.

This post has been edited by Selax: 12 January 2007 - 03:52 PM