Final Quest #11

The cover is out and so is the teaser:

“The one issue you dare not miss! The elves’ unprecedented gathering reaches a fever pitch when Strongbow’s lifemate Moonshade, Oddbit the troll queen, Mender the healer, Skywise the stargazer, and even evil Winnowill pursue their hearts’ desires—and some dare ask for even more! Angrif Djun’s war fleet invades the Wavedancers’ waters as a shattering moment of truth occurs between Cutter and Timmain.”


Oddbit? ODDBIT??

A) I think this is awesome.
B) How she fits in baffles me.

Oddbit! Awesome! More trolls!

(Poking phone dunged out on me... One more time...)

In our world, we went from muskets and ocean crossing navies to spaceflight in about 400 years, without Two Edge's help.

If Future Quest has any bearing on the main storyline, the Trolls need to get to the moons and nearby planets, build domes, and abandon them before the Five Fingers reach them.

To me, this means the Trolls dont have much time to get there in the storyline...

What do you suppose Timmain's moment of truth is? Maybe it has something to do with her refusal to go pick everyone up? Maybe she's telling Cutter that the Wolfriders will die out... or maybe that the Palace won't come back once it leaves. Or that she can't take everyone with her?

I guess Moonshade is going to lose her wolfblood. Skywise will choose to go to the stars-- especially now that he's going to have a girlfriend (guess). Presuming he does recognize, assume a job relative to his interests and relocate, I have to say that i'm really glad he's finally getting his own life. As much as I love his relationship with Cutter, it's been getting progressively co-dependent. Oddbit probably wants plastic surgery. I bet Mender goes into the business.

Yes, I think it's already been clearly established that humans on the WoTM are technologically retarded. They have a pistol in front of them, for years... and they can't figure out how it works. Not only that, but I think Two Edge also built them a tree-cutting tank once. They couldn't analyze how that was put together? (Sad shake of head) Here, on the world of one moon, we figured that out without magical assistance. What is their problem?

And when Moonshade gets rid of her wolf-blood, Strongbow will have kittens.

Lunakat wrote:

Yes, I think it's already been clearly established that humans on the WoTM are technologically retarded. They have a pistol in front of them, for years... and they can't figure out how it works. Not only that, but I think Two Edge also built them a tree-cutting tank once. They couldn't analyze how that was put together? (Sad shake of head) Here, on the world of one moon, we figured that out without magical assistance. What is their problem?

For that matter they had pyrotechnics back in Demontricker's time (some 12000 years prior), and THREE of those tree cutter tanks... and heres the kicker to that: they were steam powered (putting them in the steam age), and 3 examples of tech is an ideal reverse-engineering situation: one for reference, one to disect, and one to experiment with.

Of course, in the fiction of it all, Abode's humans consider themselves evolved from bears, whereas many of Earth's humans consider us evolved from apes... following this logic, bears are not known for creativity and curiosity (but more of blundering tanks that are inefficient at everything, even digestion)...

Perhaps that is the true "magic" of Abode that caused the palace to crash: blind, stubborn ignorance that rejects what it takes to really accept new ideas.

(Mind you, Im not saying bears arent amazing creatures in their own right, just playing with the fictional themes here).

manga wrote:

The cover is out and so is the teaser:

“The one issue you dare not miss! The elves’ unprecedented gathering reaches a fever pitch when Strongbow’s lifemate Moonshade, Oddbit the troll queen, Mender the healer, Skywise the stargazer, and even evil Winnowill pursue their hearts’ desires—and some dare ask for even more! Angrif Djun’s war fleet invades the Wavedancers’ waters as a shattering moment of truth occurs between Cutter and Timmain.”


Oddbit?  ODDBIT??

A) I think this is awesome.
B) How she fits in baffles me.  

Moonshade is going to cleanse all her blood and become like a High One.
Oddbit is going to kick Picknose's butt about the Elves walking all over them.
Mender is going to mend... things.
Skywise is going to (rightfully!) kill Timmain and take over!
Winnowill is going to be so impressed with Skywise, she vows to follow him as she did Lord Voll.
And the Wavedancers will be wiped from the Earth, to remove all copyright issues there had been between WaRP and the others.

Those are my predictions and I think I am onto something.

Tymber wins.

Love to read about the speculations! The somewhat realistic ones ...

... and the less(?) realistic ones a bit more!

I don't think that many Wave dancers are in danger. They retconned the originals out of existence - they're now officially just the dreams of Reef. So while some may well die, it won't be the while crew.

Perhaps Timmain tells Cutter the Wolfriders can't go, because they're tied to the WoTM. Obviously some of them wouldn't want to, but to be told you can't is a whole 'nother kettle of fish. That could also be the secret hidden in plain sight.

the cover doesn't look particularly good :/ Leetah and Skywise look rather silly... (Actually he looks quite unnerved while Cutter looks more composed)

If the elves leave (maybe only the Wolfriders staying behind), how comes Jink is on TWoTM? (Timmain to her children: "I gave you a gift: time. And the chance to be left alone on this planet and cease to exist. You're welcome")

I hope Tymber proves to be right

I really wonder what Oddbit's heart's desire is. Or rather; I thought she already got it; lots and lots of gold!
Now, if it was Trinket they were mentioning. I think we all know what, or rather who her 'heart's desire' is.

Just something I'm thinking about...about 50 % of readers thinks this mysterious Star-child is Timmain, maybe shape-changed or something, but why is she looking like her self again in cover 11 then? ( like a wolf I mean by that, if she is recognized or something like that, wouldn't she stay in that form? ) And she is mentioned with Cutter, not Skywise? Don't prove anything, but gives me hope...I don't really love the thought that Timmain is Star-child.

The rest...wow, kinda frustrating getting this tease now, when it's still over a month before we get #10.
The Moonshade thing can be her removing wolfblood, and that's why Strongbow is sad on the cover, but Oddbit and Mender?? Have no idea :O Maybe e get some clues in #10, but else....have NO idea. Winnowill....what does winnie want? Nothing good I guess.

Wouldn't it be typical if the wildest speculations ended up being true, and Cutter and Timmain recognizes and that explains Leetah and Skywises worried faces on that cover, and whole teaser picture of Cutter we got some years ago?

Miss Gillespie wrote:

If the elves leave (maybe only the Wolfriders staying behind), how comes Jink is on TWoTM? (Timmain to her children: "I gave you a gift: time. And the chance to be left alone on this planet and cease to exist. You're welcome")

That's what I always thought, that the Wolfriders would have to give up their wolf blood to go in the palace, but the way the cover is, with cutter and Timmain looking up to the stars, and Leetah and Skywise as if they are being seen from above, makes me think the opposite is true. I think this ties in to that teaser with cutter looking shocked. Timmain will reveal something to cutter about what is out there, and he'll make the choice like in the shards war to leave leetah and Skywise behind to protect them, or they'll have to stay behind because they can't go.

Thinking of Jink... wouldnt it be interesting if it turned out the wolf she met in the desert (at the crashed ship) turned out to be Timmain?

@Miss G: I had thought it was implied in her dream Jink was part wolfrider, or had some tie to them.... of course if say:
A) the elves get into another argument over the use of the palace (Rayak/Cutter type usage argument)  
B) Timmain gets sick and tired of it and leaves, possibly never to be seen from again until after the leave  
C) Timmain, being a high one and instrumental in Sunstreams training is able to ignore/ block out the call/link
D) the elves (known and newcomers) get all wrapped up in a fight over what to do with the palace until the Djin is knocking at their door
E) the fighting causes Mindcoil to be formed from Winnie's ol dingbat spirit, which Egg then later presides over in a roll reversal.
F) in a knee-jerk reaction to the Djin's cannons (that he finally creates from the pistol design) that are actually damaging the Palace, they take off for parts unknown, third star to the right and straight on until morning.
G) two edge and his misfit trolls blow the heck out of the Djin, ending that one small part of the dangers of Abode.
H) those that are left behind then kick off the real Final Quest to figure out how to survive in a world thats trying to destroy them... Without the parachute of the palace.

Or

The elves get all settled in to wait for the centuries it will take for the other kin all over the place that they ARENT picking up... but the Djin shows up so they gotta leave, but they'll be back again some day. Egg, who was there the whole time at Blue Mountain, builds a magical vessel within Blue Mountain so the spirits of all those that die during the wait have some place to go, but this gets bastardized into Mindcoil later by the human Black Snakes.

Perhaps this vessel was already made by Egg during the last 10000 years for the specific purpose of holding Winnie's spirit...

Oh, and for the twist in last issue (#10) Timmain reveals a way for Skywise to get his wolf blood back... who does so but not until after Cutter gives his up to be with him... So tragic! :p  just joking.

Edit: just was thinking, Kahvi was given an egg by Egg at some point, but I dont know what happened to it. He stated he would make another. He demonstrated how only he could allow others in or out of it to her, in that he tells her that if she killed him she would have no way to get out. Assuming it would work for spirits as well, he had been devising a method that could be used to contain Winnie.

The wolf Jink meets probably is Timmain.

Skywise looks as if he's turning away. I bet this is just him choosing to leave for the stars.

Maybe Timmain is revealing to Cutter that this world is going to have the same fate as her home world?

So the secret hidden in plain sight and the shocking revelation are two dif things

manga wrote:

I don't think that many Wave dancers are in danger. They retconned the originals out of existence - they're now officially just the dreams of Reef. So while some may well die, it won't be the while crew.

The Wave Dancers will be the new Go-Backs. Mass casualties to show the horror of war.

Only difference, I liked the Go-Backs. I wouldn't mind seeing the Wave Dancers wiped out.

"Wipe them out. All of them." - Darth Vader

Miss Gillespie wrote:

I hope Tymber proves to be right

Me too.

I'm with you on that, Tymber- apologies to the Wavedancers fans. There is something about them that annoys the heck out of me...

For my opinion, they don't DO anything except swim around and flee humans. They don't have much in the way of characteristics (other than "they're wavedancers") Go-backs had a purpose in existing, seeking out their ancestrial home until they were stopped by an advisary they could not defeat or ignore. Wavedancers... they um....

This came to me when I was making character cards for Magic. There is a lot of things that can be done with the other races: Wolfriders have Wolfthought, are able to fight better, and have variety. Gliders can fly, rock shape, dream-tap. Sun villagers are generally weaker but have more variety of magical ability available, as well as endurance (they live in the desert without much difficulty). Wavedancers... well, they have the ability to shape coral and manipulate water, which are handy if you are in an ocean, but anywhere else its only slightly more useful than a fish out of water. In MtG, the closest representation that would be true to the storyline might be

1U
Creature--Elf Merfolk
Islandwalk (can't be blocked if your opponent controls an island)
Sacrifice if you control no Islands
Watershaper: tap to add U to your mana pool (on some, not all)
1/2 (power/toughness)

Generally, this is an OK opener card, a cheap common with a relatively high casting cost for it's ability. A player that isn't playing tournament might throw 4 of them in as cannon fodder, but without anything big to back them up they'd be wiped out pretty fast. Plus, if you happened to field a bunch of them for some reason (mana production) and an opponent causes all your Islands to become colorless (picked up your wavedancers and dropped them off on land far from water) they are all wiped out.

Anyway, sorry to get nerdy. They bugged me too for some reason, and it wasn't until I tried bringing them into Magic that I realized why: Water represents change, intelligence, manipulation of resources... the present Wavedancers just sit around going "isn't this pretty?"

The Wavedancers, if done right, should have WRECKED a navy. Unseen coral spines laced throughout every harbor up and down the coast, combined with whirlpools, directed tidal currents, direct water injection into hulls.... it's not like a wind-powered navy has advanced depth charges. Combine this with alliances with sea creatures (which should have been logical, given that all the other elves made friends with local beasts), and you've now got a Killer Whale Escort for your Humpback Destroyers, followed up by the Second Shark Fleet to clean up any survivors.

Not so much.

Elwing wrote:

I'm with you on that, Tymber- apologies to the Wavedancers fans. There is something about them that annoys the heck out of me...

Glad I am not alone!

TrollHammer wrote:

The Wavedancers, if done right, should have WRECKED a navy. Unseen coral spines laced throughout every harbor up and down the coast, combined with whirlpools, directed tidal currents, direct water injection into hulls.... it's not like a wind-powered navy has advanced depth charges. Combine this with alliances with sea creatures (which should have been logical, given that all the other elves made friends with local beasts), and you've now got a Killer Whale Escort for your Humpback Destroyers, followed up by the Second Shark Fleet to clean up any survivors.

Not so much.

I agree. There's so much they could have - should have - done. And perhaps, that's what they WILL do to redeem them. But for me, too late - kill'em all.

But... but... the Humpbacks are the gentle giants of the sea! They abhor violence in all its forms. You can't involve them in the horrors of war!

Bring on the dolphins!

Humpbacks fight so hard during mating season they occasionally die. Males will pursue females with calves until they can't swim anymore.

But they'd be pretty useless in a fight. You want sperm whales for that.

What about carnivorous sharks? Once the ships start going down and humans bail, it's chow time!