I love how one of the twins (Alphonse) throws a fit about how it doesn't matter to Selah which is which-- and then I promptly wonder if I shouldn't change that scene around to his brother.
Albert IS more violent, more prone to an explosion -- or is he? He's very muted, lot of teenage rage (about Pix, and his dad's infidelity) that comes out in violence. Physical, not yelling. Words are a waste of time, and he was a bit of a slow learner, never good at pronounciation and speaking loudly.
--Whereas Alphonse likes dogs, speaks in complete sentences, pays attention to things. But would he explode with words? I think so. Words are his weapon of choice, since he is no good with physical violence.
What brought this out in them? Tomas is... like Fyodor. Both twins have a mix of respect and disgust, respectively. Albert wants to ignore him, Alphonse wants to be noticed.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
SheNANigans
Okay, so this has only a little to do with Ire, but I was looking for castle dog kennels reference and found THIS GUY:
http://www.homearchitects.com/castle-home-architect
I did not know these people even existed. Holy crap.
http://www.homearchitects.com/castle-home-architect
I did not know these people even existed. Holy crap.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Landria outsources its taxes!
Okay. So the guards are being paid by the castle, because that is who they are paidto guard. But their loyalty is not high. So, they must not be paid MUCH. But they are being paid, by Ire, which means by definition that some kind of tax collection must be going on.
But who is collecting taxes?
Was it the Britacan troops (implementation) and when the Lions drove them off, they drove off the primary money-making operation of the castle, which would leave Ire unable to finance anything, which would mean that things go into disrepair and the people's minds turn to rebellion?
Or was it one, primary, murder that may be entirely unrelated to the taxes themselves (maybe a Britacan soldier was dabbling about with too many men's wives and they put an end to him -- and they realized this was a good way of getting rid of the tax collectors -- and thus the Lions were born. Naturally xenophobic, but thanks to an innate guilt and a knowledge that the Britacans technically owned Landria, they displace it to Peterny. They have the Destroyers' premise to work on there.)
So, it started with a murder, and turned into driving off the Britacans. The middleman system of "we collect the money, take it home, take our tribute, then send some back" sounds about right, and fits the Britacan mentality. Okay.
Now, the thing is, Ire's statement about "forgetting to pay the Britacan tribute" needs to be fixed, because you can't forget something you don't have to remember.
My battery is dying. That's bad.
But the GUARDS. Are aware that Britaca's troops are gone. And they're worried. Looting the castle is the only thing they can think of to keep their paychecks and families semi-balanced and why risk going up against the peasants, who have already decided there are "loyalists" who have to be destroyed? Better to lock the doors and pre-loot the castle.
This, obviously, didn't work.
But who is collecting taxes?
Was it the Britacan troops (implementation) and when the Lions drove them off, they drove off the primary money-making operation of the castle, which would leave Ire unable to finance anything, which would mean that things go into disrepair and the people's minds turn to rebellion?
Or was it one, primary, murder that may be entirely unrelated to the taxes themselves (maybe a Britacan soldier was dabbling about with too many men's wives and they put an end to him -- and they realized this was a good way of getting rid of the tax collectors -- and thus the Lions were born. Naturally xenophobic, but thanks to an innate guilt and a knowledge that the Britacans technically owned Landria, they displace it to Peterny. They have the Destroyers' premise to work on there.)
So, it started with a murder, and turned into driving off the Britacans. The middleman system of "we collect the money, take it home, take our tribute, then send some back" sounds about right, and fits the Britacan mentality. Okay.
Now, the thing is, Ire's statement about "forgetting to pay the Britacan tribute" needs to be fixed, because you can't forget something you don't have to remember.
My battery is dying. That's bad.
But the GUARDS. Are aware that Britaca's troops are gone. And they're worried. Looting the castle is the only thing they can think of to keep their paychecks and families semi-balanced and why risk going up against the peasants, who have already decided there are "loyalists" who have to be destroyed? Better to lock the doors and pre-loot the castle.
This, obviously, didn't work.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Selah as Child?
I want to make a sort of major change, and that is in Selah's character. I don't want to put the event (Child) a long time ago, lost in antiquity. I want Selah to be the Child, the one who ended Peterny's civil war.
Pros:
It was ten years ago.
Cons:
It was ten years ago. It's still clearly in the public memory, and it makes it Cor's problem. It might have happened around the same time as Garlanda's death. Matthard, though he claims innocence of age, is less a participant than Selah. But, I kind of like that what they did as children affects where they are now.
Here's how it would read, in dialogue form, from Selah to Matthard:
"We were living in Plock when it was invaded, ten years ago. I was ten, eleven when we moved to a camp outside the capital. A place for new 'Peternians' the king didn't want running down to Landria for help. We were to the north of the city, so we would have to go through it to run south. We also met the Northerners preparing to seige the city. You do know about the famine, I hope?"
"The most embarrassing, selfish part of the story? Yes, I think I've got that down."
"They told us about everything. Informally took over the camp, since most of the guards were won over by their stories. After four days of watching them prepare for a futile, bloody battle, I left. Walked twenty miles to the capital city. When I got there, they must have thought me a Northerner, given all the cooing and feeding. Later, they told the Notherners I had moved their pity. The war was stopped and negotiations began."
"And Landria had some mysterious interest in that?"
"The war kept Peterny busy. Britaca didn't mind it either. There were even special factions within Peterny that were outraged at the war's ending so soon. They sent mercenaries after political officials, the king, and us. We fled south after six months. Landria is safe. It used to be said that the king was the only one happy to see us."
"But that was ten years ago. You've had a change of-- oh. Right."
"Now, we stay 'Peternian' to keep paranoia alive and the border closed."
So....
I think it adds to Selah's character.
Pros:
It was ten years ago.
Cons:
It was ten years ago. It's still clearly in the public memory, and it makes it Cor's problem. It might have happened around the same time as Garlanda's death. Matthard, though he claims innocence of age, is less a participant than Selah. But, I kind of like that what they did as children affects where they are now.
Here's how it would read, in dialogue form, from Selah to Matthard:
"We were living in Plock when it was invaded, ten years ago. I was ten, eleven when we moved to a camp outside the capital. A place for new 'Peternians' the king didn't want running down to Landria for help. We were to the north of the city, so we would have to go through it to run south. We also met the Northerners preparing to seige the city. You do know about the famine, I hope?"
"The most embarrassing, selfish part of the story? Yes, I think I've got that down."
"They told us about everything. Informally took over the camp, since most of the guards were won over by their stories. After four days of watching them prepare for a futile, bloody battle, I left. Walked twenty miles to the capital city. When I got there, they must have thought me a Northerner, given all the cooing and feeding. Later, they told the Notherners I had moved their pity. The war was stopped and negotiations began."
"And Landria had some mysterious interest in that?"
"The war kept Peterny busy. Britaca didn't mind it either. There were even special factions within Peterny that were outraged at the war's ending so soon. They sent mercenaries after political officials, the king, and us. We fled south after six months. Landria is safe. It used to be said that the king was the only one happy to see us."
"But that was ten years ago. You've had a change of-- oh. Right."
"Now, we stay 'Peternian' to keep paranoia alive and the border closed."
So....
I think it adds to Selah's character.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Poisoning rationale.
Yes, I'm working on it again. This is my reasoning for why the poison works more the second time around. I'm hoping it's believable.
Oh, and
---
Okay, so Ire is being poisoned, Selah discovers the poison by feeding it to the dogs ne Alphonse. But what kind of poison is it? Is it believable that it's the same kind of poison when last time it was used, the effect was immediate and incapacitating? why did Ire go back to Vivi's this time?
Okay, um, well, the poison is new, made of different herbs, and slightly less potent than before. Why? Why not use the same kind of poison? No- perhaps, Ire's immunity isn't as built up as it was before, because he's still tense, not in the best of physical shape, and hasn't been eating much. Okay. That's believable. He's not in the best of shape, so the poison had more of an effect, though still not fatal. The visit to the hospital was to get a safe place to get food and vitamins, or whatever the equivilant is. Ire is, actually, stressed, so the poison was the last straw.
Vivi has strengthening herbs, that kind of thing, so it's safest to go there. Plus, it's safe. However, he does have to get there, without staggering through the streets. There can't be a window, because his room is on the second floor. He slips out of the back door of the castle, secret staircase (or was that Tern's castle?) and can steal through the cow track to the back door of the hospital. He's done this before, often.
So, we have a viable escape plan, a reasonable reason why he isn't dead, but it's the same poison. But, okay, he shook off the effects the first time around easily. This time -- this time it takes longer. Okay. Um. But. Why would Quinton use the same kind of poison?
Because most are banned, and he figures that Ire won't be expecting Selah to bring him poisoned food. Kay.
Er. Is that it?
Long and short: Ire was affected only a little by the first round of poison because a) he had the antidote on hand, and b) he was in good physical condition, despite mental stress. The second round, he was more affected because a) he didn't have the antidote immediately on hand (but close AT hand, since he was in his room, and b) he was in poor physical condition from eating little, travelling to the hospital each night, and the general stress of campaigning.
Oh, and
---
Okay, so Ire is being poisoned, Selah discovers the poison by feeding it to the dogs ne Alphonse. But what kind of poison is it? Is it believable that it's the same kind of poison when last time it was used, the effect was immediate and incapacitating? why did Ire go back to Vivi's this time?
Okay, um, well, the poison is new, made of different herbs, and slightly less potent than before. Why? Why not use the same kind of poison? No- perhaps, Ire's immunity isn't as built up as it was before, because he's still tense, not in the best of physical shape, and hasn't been eating much. Okay. That's believable. He's not in the best of shape, so the poison had more of an effect, though still not fatal. The visit to the hospital was to get a safe place to get food and vitamins, or whatever the equivilant is. Ire is, actually, stressed, so the poison was the last straw.
Vivi has strengthening herbs, that kind of thing, so it's safest to go there. Plus, it's safe. However, he does have to get there, without staggering through the streets. There can't be a window, because his room is on the second floor. He slips out of the back door of the castle, secret staircase (or was that Tern's castle?) and can steal through the cow track to the back door of the hospital. He's done this before, often.
So, we have a viable escape plan, a reasonable reason why he isn't dead, but it's the same poison. But, okay, he shook off the effects the first time around easily. This time -- this time it takes longer. Okay. Um. But. Why would Quinton use the same kind of poison?
Because most are banned, and he figures that Ire won't be expecting Selah to bring him poisoned food. Kay.
Er. Is that it?
Long and short: Ire was affected only a little by the first round of poison because a) he had the antidote on hand, and b) he was in good physical condition, despite mental stress. The second round, he was more affected because a) he didn't have the antidote immediately on hand (but close AT hand, since he was in his room, and b) he was in poor physical condition from eating little, travelling to the hospital each night, and the general stress of campaigning.
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