originally posted by Winter
Well I'll try to even out the voting by going for Shand/West Shand. The division and union of Kingdoms, could it happen again? The answers to why the Kingdom borders are what they are, and why specific royal lines were assigned to them. Was there another royal line for West Shand? If so, what happened to them? If not, how was it governed and is it a model for post-s'Ellestion Melhalla?
originally posted by Matthew
1# Verrain
2# Dakar
While all the other subjects would be interesting i'd still love to hear more about these two characters. Verrain preferably because Dakar has more of the spotlight at the moment.
Both these characters have an interesting backstory, they're still active in Athera now and they may have important parts to play in the future.
Apologies again if i get it wrong… but i think in one of the books it was mentioned (or suggested) that Verrain was used to balls and court, that sort of thing. I'd love to know what he was like originally as it sounded like he didn't recieve mage training from as early age like Dakar. Also, if i am right, i wonder how he and Lysaer would get along as it would seem they'd have similar backgrounds. (If i am wrong about all this it just shows i need a book about it to correct me)
If I claim to have multiple personalities can we all vote? 
P1)"Verrain!"
P2)"Aye!"
P3)"Yes, Verrain"
P4)"Certainly"
P5)"I concur"
P6)"I love Verrain, he's so dreamy"
P7)"Verrain is rubbish, I'll Kill yo…"
*sounds of fighting, muffled shouting and a shoe striking something unmentionable…*
P7"mmmmffh mhhhmm mahhhh"
*…also LOTS of whimpering.*
P6)"He means 'Yes, I would like Verrain too please'"
The moral of this story; don't mess with my feminine side when she's making eyes at a hottie.
Before anyone gets worried i don't really have multiple personalities
(To himself, 'yes i told them… yeah i think they bought it.')
originally posted by Matthew
I always thought true democracy was a myth:
Waiter "Here you are sir, we will make you ANYTHING you want to eat"
Me "anything?"
Waiter (bored)"yes anything."
*then he hands over the menu*
*I look at the menu*
1) lives in the sea (eel)
2) lives on land (snake)
Side orders
1) bull****
2) See above - that's it.
Vive la two party system.
originally posted by Matthew
and apologies for all the posts… yet again i'm home alone while my wife is stuck on the late shift. i'm very very bored, please post as well, talkign to the cat will only carry me so far.
originally posted by Angus
Two party system: only in the US, my friend.
Up here, in the Great White North, we have five. One is centrist (Liberal), one right (Conservative), one left (New Democrats), one green (Green, what else! no seats yet, though) and one separatist (Bloc Quebecois, only runs candidates in Quebec, and are waning politically).
At least you have one clear choice. Bad, or worse. We have choices between thieves, simple minded idiots, idealists, more idealists, and people who don't know a great county when they see one.
originally posted by Matthew
I'm british, i'm only picking on america because it's easy. Our system isn't much better lookign at it from a 'True Democracy' viewpoint.
Politics is alot like mud wrestling. No one who enters it stays clean for long.
originally posted by Hunter
Verrain also wore fashion several centuries out of date if I recall correctly. It's a wonder he's sane at all with just meth-snakes to keep him company along with several dozen cats.
My reasoning is simple - Paravians, I want to read about Paravians… not these boring humans… the exalted beings, besides which we are but pale shadows
Janny - any chance of a story around Naming of the Winter stars, the solstice rights at Caith-al-Caen, or even the first arrival of the Paravians on Athera? Or the making of the Isaervian swords?
Ahhh - squinting at vote lists, and excited suggestions…
Some of these would be a NOVEL!
And some you've turned down - chortle - have you ANY IDEA what you'd be missing?
(Author tease!!! Author tease!!! Bolts out, still playing with options.)
originally posted by Matthew
I doubt we're missing anything because i'm sure you're going to cover all the different stories eventually… even if we have to break your ankles and keep you captive in a remote cabin a la misery
Note: i'm not a dangerous stalker with violent tendancies, total joke =P
originally posted by Hunter
Janny - are all these story options intended to see the light of day at some point, in some format?
Hunter - I sincerely hope so.
If not in their own right, then as an unveiling scene in a larger work.
Often the ones that pop when a story opportunity comes along are the ones that seem to unveil a larger facet of something about to pop in the series proper…which is always fun, and why the sidebar material always fleshes out the larger picture.
I have to choose for ones that will open new areas, or deepen the reach of ones only hinted at but – at all costs – stay Away from ones that would crash the gates on material I know will be opened up wide in the next two arcs (or in Stormed Fortress for that matter! Yeah, you'll get a few…)
So there are some hot ticket areas I know I'll have to avoid, because - well, they're coming anyhow, because in some manner that thread intersects the coming story and affects it strongly.
Right now, the stories that are created will appear scattershot, as the opportunities happen. (You have Reins of Destiny coming in December). Each one is a bit tricky, because it snap freezes areas of the back history, and I have to organize my notes to be sure I've included all the going factors, in right order!!!
Eventually, I'd like to put together a collection of such works, appended to a novella that's set in Athera or something - but - opportunity for the series itself may have to expand, first - or something else crop up - in order to position the idea and have (yes I want ot see this!) all those stories appear under one cover.
It could be that I may write a supporting novel that stood totally alone from the series - but as I have a contract for book I arc IV, (title to be announced, chuckle) this can't happen instantaneously.
Such ideas have to compete with other one off novel ideas, like Hell's Chasm, that I also want to write. (a heap of those are piling up, too). Alot depends whether I pull in other opportunities to paint.
Think art book, down the line. With a huge Athera section.
One needs an enthusiastic publisher, too. Grin.
originally posted by Angus
Janny: Ever considered cloning?? Sounds like you have a lot to do.
I still want to hear about Mearth, but Verrain is really coming up in my mind too.
I have yet to find a character you have created that is uninteresting. I have hated some of them, but they are always interesting. Verrain is a great enigma, and has received very little press compared to the Mad Prophet.
Dakar's childhood? Nah. Give us Verrain, if you can't (or won't) give us Mearth.
originally posted by Matthew
Well we all know why Dakar became a spellbinder, he had that rogue talent of prophecy.
I think an explanation of how and why Verrain became a spellbinder would be very interesting As i said before i got the impression he was an adult so what motivated his choice to help? how did the fellowship go about contacting him? if there was something, like with dakar, that marked him out from others what was it?
originally posted by Laneth Shadow-Walker
My guess as to how and why Verrain become a spellbinder is because he has or had a natural affinity with animals and the taming of methuri came as second-nature to him.
His training in magecraft enhanced his perception and ability in understanding animals, hence his post at Methisle.
(Also might explain why there's so many cats there…they might have the most to say and the most interesting conversations out of many animals…
Sethvir & the other F7 can speak to Traith's crow, so why couldn't Verrain speak to the cats in the same way?)
originally posted by Kam
I really want to know about the fall of the justice tower in Ithamon.
That really would be a novel, I suspect, but so many questions does it raise!
originally posted by Matthew
Laneth i'm fairly certain the raven is different from most creatures because it's an aspect called into being by Sethvir to help Traithe. Still, i like the theory Dr Dolittle strikes again.
originally posted by Matthew
If the king that was murdered and caused teh tower to fall was a paravian as someone on the board suggested i'd be REALLY interested in hearing more. You have to wonder if every single paravian is utterly wonderful
Ah, Verrain, you're a devil for surprises!!!
And - here's Two Athera stories underway…with the new novel for Arc IV. Do you ever have some FUN STUFF coming…
Whoops - let's not tease too much till you've hit on Stormed Fortress…it can be SOOOO excitingly frustrating to keep the lips buttoned, ahead of the publication.
originally posted by Angus
Mean. Totally mean.
T-minus three months, twenty-five days and counting.
Sigh.
originally posted by HJ
Have you all noticed, guys, how simmering our authoress is with excitement about SF.
This is the third time I've been party to the build up to a new WoLaS book on this message board, Janny, and I don't ever remember you being quite so gleefully, nearly, bubbling over.
It's really whetting my appetite, let me say!!!