Episode 85321

JH · Post by JH » Sun Jan 25, 2009 10:10 am

Thanks, Ib.

And yes, please feel free to pitch in any time, Anableps. I've just read your new episode, which I like a lot. One minor quibble: "After a while, she started counting her footsteps to gauge the distance. She knew that 75 paces (2 of her steps) covered about a furlong on level ground. This made 600 paces to the Imperial mile of her city." Assuming that her miles and furlongs are the same length as ours, that would make her pace equivalent to about three yards or her step about four and a half feet. That seems rather on the long side to me. I reckon that my own step is not much more than half of that.

Cicero · Post by **Cicero** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:38 pm

Face has stopped twitching. Good to see Anableps and Xavier slipping effortlessly into the fold. Hope you like my extension of the conversation, Anableps.

Anableps · Post by **Anableps** » Sun Jan 25, 2009 3:45 pm

I had assumed that my jogging stride was about equal to my walking stride. It is actually about twice as far, and I was basing her "pace" on the fact that it takes me about 140 paces to run a quarter mile (2 furlongs) on a marked track. So I bumped up her number of paces to 140 to the furlong and recalculated.

JH · Post by JH » Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:46 pm

Thanks.

Following Cicero's latest episode, it looks as though we ought to find an alternative name to "Conscience", since it seems that was just a pose asopted by whatever it is.

Hi! My name is Ib! · Post by **Hi! My name is Ib!** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 4:57 pm

You'll notice in my recent episode that Fred is wearing armor once more. I also imagine his sword has been replaced as well. That's what his squire was for.

Um, if anyone has any other questions about this episode feel free to ask.

Cicero · Post by **Cicero** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 8:08 pm

Perfect point at which to lighten things up, Ib. Things are getting pretty intense and doom-laden (mostly my fault, I know), it's nice to sit back, chill and imagine Fred riding in the sun, gathering his thoughts and taking charge.

Hi! My name is Ib! · Post by **Hi! My name is Ib!** » Mon Jan 26, 2009 8:54 pm

Thanks, Cicero! That's exactly what I was going for! I was hoping it wasn't TOO tongue in cheek, if you know what I mean.

No idea why I threw in that Monty Python-esque part at the start of the episode, but it seemed to fit.

Cicero · Post by **Cicero** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 7:18 pm

Is/was Minestus a red dragon?

Hi! My name is Ib! · Post by **Hi! My name is Ib!** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 7:25 pm

I've always imagined him as red.

Knight Random referred to him as shifting into the form of a black serpent, but other than that I don't think much has been written on his physical description.

Cicero · Post by **Cicero** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 9:24 pm

Okay, bagsies red. Also, I've done a flashback which in this sort of story is like skipping across a minefield that you've just laid yourself. Any conflicts with previous chapters and/or conversations let me know.

JH · Post by JH » Sun Feb 01, 2009 9:54 pm

I like that a lot.

"Minestus flicked his tail, and in an instant a transparent, glimmering sphere encircled the playthings, freezing their motion, depriving them of time. None of them moved, saw, heard or felt."

So presumably Adele must know of events from after this point through having access to Minestus' memories? (And I notice that at some point she has put on the ring, which might well give her such access.)

Hi! My name is Ib! · Post by **Hi! My name is Ib!** » Sun Feb 01, 2009 11:09 pm

Yay! It's my turn! Woo hoo!

I like how this is working out. I am SO happy just writing the Lord Fred part right now while you wizards work your magic with the rest of the lot.

JH · Post by JH » Thu Feb 12, 2009 9:37 pm

I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to follow up episode 85610. I just wanted to reassure people that I haven't forgetten it. If anyone else has more creativity that I have at the moment, then by all means feel free to step in.

I think what's been taking me so long is that I've been having trouble settling in my own mind what the dragons have been up to, both now and in the past. Also did only Minestus have this inner flame, which if he was a renegade seems rather strange? But if all dragons have one, then why is preserving his after his death so important? Of course, not all questions have to be answered in the next episode, but I'm afraid that we may have reached the point where things will get so complex that no explanation will ever be possible.

BTW, while I like the episode, I was a little surprised that the fact of choosing to go after Minestus should in itself have debarred Astra from the succession. Of course, since everyone in Aqualaria will have been assuming for the last fifty years that she's dead, it's something of a moot point.

Hi! My name is Ib! · Post by **Hi! My name is Ib!** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 11:13 pm

I thought that was somewhat odd as well, JH. I'm sure Xavier has his reasons.

Xavier · Post by **Xavier** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 8:43 am

Sorry if my episode has proven too vexing. It took me longer than usual to come up with and I wasn't terribly happy with it at the time I wrote it myself. I was thinking a few steps ahead to where I thought the story might go, rather than just creating an episode that fit in smoothly.

My intent in trying to tie dragons to the destruction of Telluria goes back to 83429, when I wrote Elaine's "flasback" when she first encounters the machine. This was before the 3 other dragons were introduced. Since then, as the story has developed, a few things were established - That the machine, known as a Nexus, is extremely powerful, that it is considered by by the dragons as something to fear (considering Heraclius' reaction in 85501) and that it had ties both t Telluria and the entity known as Conscience.

So I made the connection then that these 3 dragons at least have firsthand experience with the Nexus. If I were to continue with this idea, it would be that the Tellurians, led by Celubar, had begun using the Nexus, leading to war and chaos, and that the dragons (at least the "good" order of dragons that the 3 belong to) had to intervene. Of course, 5 other people are working on this story, and in an organically developing story environment, I was and continue to be willing to change these ideas as the story develops.

A couple other points were brought up - I'd imagine all the dragons have this internal flame, but that in normal circumstances it couldn't be transferred to a human. Since there seem to be very few of them left, I though they might have an interest in preserving it if possible. As far as the flashback with Astra, I agree, it's something of a moot point, I was just attemping to give a little backstory, and I thought at the time it made sense.

JH, I won't be offended at all if you choose to bypass my episode and either take the other option off of 85534 or add a new option from it. At any rate, I must apologize for creating a stumbling block and breaking the momentum that this story had going. I only hope we can regain it.