Grab Bag July 2015

Hmm...

Elves come to WoTM.
Something goes screwy (I blame Rayak half-merging the scrolls as a key factor, but I digress from digressing), and the Palace is sent back in time.
The magic devoid planet doesnt have enough magic to sustain the Elves, so the palace crashes.
The Elves dont have enough to sustain themselves, and begin to procreate.
Many Elves are born and died...
As more elves die, Magic becomes more potent, magic users become more powerful.
At this point, 20000 years of Elves living and dieing have had their spirits entrapped in the Palace, and the Palace is now able to move and do much of what it used to. Magic users are at an all time high-power and quantity.
Ergo, the Elves magic is powered by the spirits of their dead, and the Palace is a battery to store them!

(To keep this back on topic, Ill come back and convert this to a story tomorrow containing the elements, unless you want to expand Redhead's poem to cover it? )

More about Grubfinder ... just like I've hoped, TrollHammer! ^^ And bios of your cast. And lively discussion with Tymber. I need to come back - I promise!


For now my attention span is just long enough to drop the grab-bag banner.



Five panels - but it holds all 6 elements.

You could save yourself a lot of my comments and I can just sum it up as: "You knocked it out of the park. Again."

If you're bored, my comments as follows...

TrollHammer wrote:

More of Grubfinder...
He shuddered awake seemingly moments later as the door thundered knock, knock, knock.  He rolled in the dark and kicked the door shut, the cool stone of the floor a slight comfort, reminding him of his home underground.  He expected the beast to be on the other side, but somehow his panic subsided quicker than he expected as he noticed the darkness, the lack of sunlight in the cracks of the door.  

Right off the bat, a nice narrative of the character's emotions. We know where he's at, with the amazing visual you've provided - and where his mindset is!

TrollHammer wrote:

He cautiously sat down, wondering why they were so calm with such a horrendous monster around… or did he dream it up?  He still couldn’t be sure.

Am I misremembering - weren't the elves already aware of the trolls presence and working with him?

TrollHammer wrote:

As the flames danced, they began to talk about his reason for being there, what he was expected to do, where to find water and food… it honestly didn’t seem like there was much of a purpose for him to be here they way they described it!  A few stones to move around to the areas of the wall that was unfinished, participate in hunts when the others went, and a seemingly pointless task: standing, feeling the ground for something called ‘Suncoil’.

Not to be confused with a 'Madcoil' - which is a very different thing all together!

TrollHammer wrote:

“Hopefully, you’ll know it’s coming fast enough you won’t need to see it,” said an older female elf with a pair of blond braids over her left ear. “So far, only two have seen it and survived to tell the others, and of the two, I’m the only one still around.”

Or perhaps not so different from Madcoil! The suspense builds!

TrollHammer wrote:

Finding nothing of note behind her, she asked, “You have seen it, then? A great furry beast that can move with great speed and silence?”

Ah ha! So very much like Madcoil! Our beast from what seemed to be fevered dreams now has a name!

TrollHammer wrote:

When a break formed in the uproar, he described what he saw and did.  Their eyes grew wide when they learned he had run away from it.  Even the braided-elf’s experience seeing it had been from the top of the wall, safe and well out of harm’s way.  This story brought on another wave of incessant banter among the Elves that he forced himself to have patience with.

I love your portrayal of his lack of patience with the elves. I honestly think that is his greatest trait. Like Strongbow is silent, Skywise loves the stars, Cutter is the leader, Winnowill is... misunderstood, Rayek is ignorant, Kahvi is heartless - Grubfinder's thing is his lack of patience with the chattering elves!

TrollHammer wrote:

“Quite the opposite, actually. We plan to trap it within the walls and seal it in.” she said.  “When the wall is ready, our hope is you’ll help us locate it so we can lure it into the trap.”

I like how she thinks. Trapped, it won't be able to move quickly, and it'd be easier to spear and fill with arrows.

TrollHammer wrote:

Dross pointed out the more pertinent facts. “It would make a whole lot of sense to just kill the thing at night while it slept or does whatever it does without sunlight, but no one can find it.  We aren’t even sure what it might look like at night: at one point when it did pass through a shadow, Braids said it turned dark and seemed to nearly disappear.  The thing is heavy, though, and it seemed to carry through out of the shadow staggering.”

Nice defenses for such a foul tempered creature!

Tymber wrote:

Am I misremembering - weren't the elves already aware of the trolls presence and working with him?

Setting on my phone again, which makes copy and paste a royal pain, so sorry if this ends up being ugly....

Tymber wrote:

You could save yourself a lot of my comments and I can just sum it up as: "You knocked it out of the park. Again."

If you're bored, my comments as follows...

Feedback is always welcome from anyone, let me know it got read! Dont feel you have to, though.

Quote :

TrollHammer wrote:

More of Grubfinder...
He shuddered awake seemingly moments later as the door thundered knock, knock, knock.  He rolled in the dark and kicked the door shut, the cool stone of the floor a slight comfort, reminding him of his home underground.  He expected the beast to be on the other side, but somehow his panic subsided quicker than he expected as he noticed the darkness, the lack of sunlight in the cracks of the door.  

Right off the bat, a nice narrative of the character's emotions. We know where he's at, with the amazing visual you've provided - and where his mindset is!

TrollHammer wrote:

He cautiously sat down, wondering why they were so calm with such a horrendous monster around… or did he dream it up?  He still couldn’t be sure.

Am I misremembering - weren't the elves already aware of the trolls presence and working with him?

Im going to have to reread the full thing again to see where I derailed it. Yes, they knew about the Troll and to a degree I figure they knew everything he did and was doing... I think I originally intended to have them even aware of his exploits during the day, and comment on them, but they needed to sleep sometime and Grub needed to be able to tell his story. This was easier.

As to this line, he is still not sure of his own senses, and still doesnt know the monster needs sunlight to be active, but the Elves do, and it sets up a "this isnt quite right" feeling for him that he cant sort out until later.

Ill reread the thing and see what doesnt make sense. This first part was actually part of last month's that was cut and pushed for length.

Quote :

TrollHammer wrote:

As the flames danced, they began to talk about his reason for being there, what he was expected to do, where to find water and food… it honestly didn’t seem like there was much of a purpose for him to be here they way they described it!  A few stones to move around to the areas of the wall that was unfinished, participate in hunts when the others went, and a seemingly pointless task: standing, feeling the ground for something called ‘Suncoil’.

Not to be confused with a 'Madcoil' - which is a very different thing all together!

TrollHammer wrote:

“Hopefully, you’ll know it’s coming fast enough you won’t need to see it,” said an older female elf with a pair of blond braids over her left ear. “So far, only two have seen it and survived to tell the others, and of the two, I’m the only one still around.”

Or perhaps not so different from Madcoil! The suspense builds!

TrollHammer wrote:

Finding nothing of note behind her, she asked, “You have seen it, then? A great furry beast that can move with great speed and silence?”

Ah ha! So very much like Madcoil! Our beast from what seemed to be fevered dreams now has a name!

Im reusing some of the plot devices I had planned for my RPG, in that there would be many "Coils" based on different aspects of magic gone wrong: Fleshcoil, Stonecoil, Treecoil, Firecoil, Watercoil.... if there is a handle on a thing with magic, there was a chance, in the early days, of it "going wrong" and forming a pool of bad magic, ready to be triggered and form into a coil of that magic... In this case, the Suncoil was born of the desert with deserty things (though for some reason I through a little shark in there... hmm...), chiefly that of being "powered" by solar energy.

The characteristics we have seen in the coils in the canon stories (Madcoil and Mindcoil) are that they are born of bad or otherwise failed magic, take on a will of their own when triggered, require passion to trigger, affect or are affected by or are defined by the things that caused their creation, and generally seem to be sensitive to magic users (Madcoil took out Rain first, Mindcoil sought the Black Snakes and generally all persons involved were Tweaks or stronger psychically). I may have some additional plotline with all this later, not sure where it will go.

Quote :

TrollHammer wrote:

When a break formed in the uproar, he described what he saw and did.  Their eyes grew wide when they learned he had run away from it.  Even the braided-elf’s experience seeing it had been from the top of the wall, safe and well out of harm’s way.  This story brought on another wave of incessant banter among the Elves that he forced himself to have patience with.

I love your portrayal of his lack of patience with the elves. I honestly think that is his greatest trait. Like Strongbow is silent, Skywise loves the stars, Cutter is the leader, Winnowill is... misunderstood, Rayek is ignorant, Kahvi is heartless - Grubfinder's thing is his lack of patience with the chattering elves!

TrollHammer wrote:

“Quite the opposite, actually. We plan to trap it within the walls and seal it in.” she said.  “When the wall is ready, our hope is you’ll help us locate it so we can lure it into the trap.”

I like how she thinks. Trapped, it won't be able to move quickly, and it'd be easier to spear and fill with arrows.

TrollHammer wrote:

Dross pointed out the more pertinent facts. “It would make a whole lot of sense to just kill the thing at night while it slept or does whatever it does without sunlight, but no one can find it.  We aren’t even sure what it might look like at night: at one point when it did pass through a shadow, Braids said it turned dark and seemed to nearly disappear.  The thing is heavy, though, and it seemed to carry through out of the shadow staggering.”

Nice defenses for such a foul tempered creature!

There are lots of holes with this whole plot, but then there were many in the Wolfrider's plot to do-in Madcoil too. The hard part Im dealing with is that, for quite a long period of history, both the Elves and Trolls were sort of advanced, but still primitive in their way of problem solving. The Trolls had been described as animals when they arrived, and the Elves hadnt had a physical problem they couldnt handle with "magic" in a longer time than could be remembered or recounted anywhere in the series, so they had to start from scratch in relearning solutions to physical puzzles.

I hadnt figured on Grubfinder being around more than the original story, so I had to find a reason the Elves would want a wall... it became a trap for the Suncoil, as a brute-force method of dealing with something they had little knowledge of and no defense against. As contrived as it is, I poke fun at myself for poor planning when the Trolls start pointing out obvious issues and solutions.

Dont want everything figured out, though, otherwise there isnt any point to carry on with the story!

TrollHammer wrote:

Im going to have to reread the full thing again to see where I derailed it. Yes, they knew about the Troll and to a degree I figure they knew everything he did and was doing... I think I originally intended to have them even aware of his exploits during the day, and comment on them, but they needed to sleep sometime and Grub needed to be able to tell his story. This was easier.

Ah, the question came - when you said something along the lines that he wasn't surprised that a monster (being himself, I assume) was sitting next to them. I might be reading it wrong (I was at work when I read it, shhhhh!) - but I got the impression he was surprised that they didn't react negatively to him, but he had been around them, listening to their chatter, standing around them. So it would seem like they wouldn't have a negative reaction? Again - perhaps _I_ read it wrong, which is what is the most likely cause!

TrollHammer wrote:

Im reusing some of the plot devices I had planned for my RPG, in that there would be many "Coils" based on different aspects of magic gone wrong: Fleshcoil, Stonecoil, Treecoil, Firecoil, Watercoil.... if there is a handle on a thing with magic, there was a chance, in the early days, of it "going wrong" and forming a pool of bad magic, ready to be triggered and form into a coil of that magic... In this case, the Suncoil was born of the desert with deserty things (though for some reason I through a little shark in there... hmm...), chiefly that of being "powered" by solar energy.

The characteristics we have seen in the coils in the canon stories (Madcoil and Mindcoil) are that they are born of bad or otherwise failed magic, take on a will of their own when triggered, require passion to trigger, affect or are affected by or are defined by the things that caused their creation, and generally seem to be sensitive to magic users (Madcoil took out Rain first, Mindcoil sought the Black Snakes and generally all persons involved were Tweaks or stronger psychically).  I may have some additional plotline with all this later, not sure where it will go.

We think much alike. I used a 'Madcoil' type beast myself and simply called it "The Coil." So apparently we think a lot alike and copy Wendy! The Coil of Madness (Jan 2009)

I am a huge fan of Madcoil type creatures... so I am all for this!

In a later story, when the Stonehowl folks meet the Pridewalkers - I use something called a Quickdeath, which is actually from the STAR FRONTIERS RPG game, which is what I actually did in my own (short lived) ElfQuest RPG game I ran. But even they remind me very much of Madcoil.

TrollHammer wrote:

There are lots of holes with this whole plot, but then there were many in the Wolfrider's plot to do-in Madcoil too.

LOL! With these grab bags, one can not going LOOKING for plot holes if it's an ongoing story. Because you're limited by the very, very, very random elements given each month - there is going to ALWAYS be plot holes. I can't even begin to imagine how many THOUSANDS of plot holes Stonehowl has if you read it today - from start to present - you'd think you lost your mind because so many things would not be connecting properly and contradicting stuff from other stories!

TrollHammer wrote:

The hard part Im dealing with is that, for quite a long period of history, both the Elves and Trolls were sort of advanced, but still primitive in their way of problem solving. The Trolls had been described as animals when they arrived, and the Elves hadnt had a physical problem they couldnt handle with "magic" in a longer time than could be remembered or recounted anywhere in the series, so they had to start from scratch in relearning solutions to physical puzzles.

I think you're worrying too much about the smaller details. I didn't even consider anything of what you mentioned. I read the story you wrote and loved it. I didn't think, "Now why would 'X' be building that if they were not technically able at the time this story takes place?"

As long as it's not something completely wild, you're writing in a fantasy world. Things like this are going to happen. As long as the trolls or elves suddenly don't break out with laser guns and lightsabres, I think we're good.

TrollHammer wrote:

I hadnt figured on Grubfinder being around more than the original story, so I had to find a reason the Elves would want a wall... it became a trap for the Suncoil, as a brute-force method of dealing with something they had little knowledge of and no defense against.  As contrived as it is, I poke fun at myself for poor planning when the Trolls start pointing out obvious issues and solutions.  

You sold the story. I bought it. I had no problem with what you wrote. Stop being so hard on yourself.

Oooh, I get it! Lol, hadnt thought about it that way, I meant the Suncoil as the monster, which at that point he didnt know couldnt be out at night, so he was half expecting it to show up any second... if it was real (at that point).

Ill try to be clearer in the future.

TrollHammer wrote:

Oooh, I get it!  Lol, hadnt thought about it that way, I meant the Suncoil as the monster, which at that point he didnt know couldnt be out at night, so he was half expecting it to show up any second... if it was real (at that point).

Ill try to be clearer in the future.

Hah! No one else read it like I did. So troubleshooting steps would indicate the issue was with me! Not your writing! So I think you're good!

I'm VERY late to this - my apologies, Hammer. I've read and enjoyed your story weeks ago but time missed mood for proper comment and appreciation.
Last not least Tymber was so eager, his comments so explicit and to the point ... I could simpply join in.

I love how consequent you stay with the Troll's point of view, Hammer, concentrating on his way to experiance the environment, his thoughts and special needs and skills. It was intresting to learn about the Suncoil by Grubfinder putting together all the snipets instead by an explaining monolog. This takes time ... time to write and time to read - and not a moment was waste of time!
Funny side effect - I got the impression that the elves voces and behavior are as annoying for Trolls as Preservers are for Elves!

Grubfinder pointed out something essential: Why is the King interested to "help" the Elves? I'm curious to learn about as the story continues ...

I like that there is a group of Trolls ... will make for good contrasts to see Grubfinder interact with his kin and with the elves.


Thank you for the bios, Hammer. This was some laborious task, I guess! I like that you did not stay with looks and duds and preferences only but add "unimportant" background facts and rumors as well. It helps me a lot to keep track of your staff and envision them as individuals. And maybe ... maybe Nightsea is right with her suspicion.

Your lively interaction and detailed feedback to each others' stories was almost as interesting to follow as the stories itself, Hammer and Tymber. Discussing it like this make me see things different - from variant points of view, sparks imagination and shows possibilities. Even if only one will be chosen to come true (or none) it's additional mental cinema.

TrollHammer wrote:

But another thing sticks out to me. Their point is to make him learn...?  If it's to learn to follow father without question, break his spirit, etc, then they better have another successor figured out, as these are the characteristics they need to be supporting to make him a great leader in the future.  The situation ends up with these outcomes as I see it:
-The baby starves or otherwise dies, and he has a guilt trip.
-Buren kills the baby, and becomes a ruthless killer as it seems his father and the Shaman want him to be.
-Buren kills the baby, and is devastated, the effects of which will dominate his whole life.
-Buren saves the baby, and is not allowed to rejoin the tribe, and so he fails in whatever aspirations he strived to be proud of.
-Buren saves the baby, and somehow gets it to the other tribe, which then allows him to rejoin his tribe through deception... and completely destroying whatever intent his father/shaman were trying to do.

It's a hairy mess that could result in some interesting and widespread outcomes for years to come, but not a single end will result in anything Balgar will want as a result.  It'll be interesting to see what happens next!

Made me think about this ... and I see a different approach.

First: Balgar and Sherala do not consider that the elf child might survive at all - wounded, without medical help and proper nutrition in the winter cold. Buren likely lacks the necessary skills - and definitely experiance. It would be hard enough to nurse a human child ... how much harder must it be to to care properly for such a strange creature?

Second: Balgar is not the most spirited chief - and definitely will not win the "father of the year" award for far-sighted upbringing. He loves his son, wants to be proud of him - and wants him to be chief at time coming. But - he want things "done his way" because "Balgar knows best" . That's his first concern and the motive for his rash decision. He does not consider this as "breaking his son's will" but as "teaching him practical sense".

Third: Don't forget the third party in this game! Sherala is pretty much the "shadow behind the throne". She has her own interests. She is manipulative and power hungry. Balgar relies on her advice - for whatever reason. But the new upcoming leader ... this boy already proved that he has a mind of his own and is willing to follow new ideas. Sherala would be very interested in an unsecure and easily guidable chief.

Embala wrote:

Your lively interaction and detailed feedback to each others' stories was almost as interesting to follow as the stories itself, Hammer and Tymber. Discussing it like this make me see things different - from variant points of view, sparks imagination and shows possibilities. Even if only one will be chosen to come true (or none) it's additional mental cinema.

I love discussing stories! Not just my own, anyone's! (Which is why, sometimes, I think I sound harsh? But I don't mean to! I simply want to engage in some discussion!)

Embala wrote:

Made me think about this ... and I see a different approach.
First: Balgar and Sherala do not consider that the elf child might survive at all - wounded, without medical help and proper nutrition in the winter cold. Buren likely lacks the necessary skills - and definitely experiance. It would be hard enough to nurse a human child ... how much harder must it be to to care properly for such a drange creature?
Second: Balgar is not the most spirited chief - and definitely will not win the "father of the year" award for far-sighted upbringing. He loves his son, wants to be proud of him - and wants him to be chief at time coming. But - he want thins "done his way" because "Balgar knows best" . That's his first concern and the the motive for his rash decision. He does not consider this as "breaking his son's will" but as "teaching him practical sense".
Third: Don't forget the third party in this game! Sherala is pretty much the "shadow behind the throne". She has her own interests. She is manipulative and power hungry. Balgar relies on her advice - for whatever reason. But the new upcoming leader ... this boy already proved that he has a mind of his own and is willing to follow new ideas. Sherala would be very interested in an unsecure and easily guidable chief.

Ironic that you posted this, I think just after I posted the August grab bag - where I touch on this from Balgar's point of view, as he's observing his son in the cave!


Sherala, the Shaman, would definitely NOT want Berun as chief, if he's as defiant and "different thinking" as he is currently - because he might see no use for Sherala, who enjoys who position of power as the chief's main adviser.

OK, so I have a little catching up to do...

If you are interested in reading the sections in the story leading up to this one, I have collected them here.
____________

Lastlight’s grip loosened momentarily with the shock, and in that moment the strange elf twisted away and broke for the cover of the nearest bushes, leaving only the sound of cracking twigs and some slightly swinging branches as evidence of his passing. Lastlight stood for just a moment staring at his still clutched hand, then tore off after him.

“Wait!” Sunflower called but was stilled by Twinstar.

“Let him be.” To her son she sent privately. *Cub! What are you doing?*

The path before him became hazy, blotted out by the undercurrent of emotions revealed by his mother’s sending. Feelings that had been buried so long were now at the surface, raw with the sudden exposure. He felt her anguish at her lovemate’s death, shock at the unexpected, untimely Recognition and underlying all the relentless, undeniable thirst of lust and shame at her own powerlessness in the face of it. “This can only end in pain.”

As she had shown her open wound in her own sending, he did not hold back exposing his. In a close-knit tribe where parents were involved with their offspring regardless of chosen love bonds, he alone was an anomaly. Even those who had lost a parent in childhood still had the memories of the tribe, shared sendings that said this is where you come from. He had nothing. He always felt that missing part. Now was his chance to learn something to fill the void. “I have to speak to him.”

The mental connection was silent. He ran on with the only sound in his head the pounding of his blood keeping time with his pounding feet. Finally, he felt again his mother’s mind touch.

*I don’t approve of  you doing this, but I understand why you must. I won’t risk losing contact of the rest of the tribe while you deal with this, but we will go slowly so you might find us when you can.* One last send of her love and hope for him and his quest, then all was quiet again.

The internal conversation had slowed him in his pursuit. The sounds of the other elf’s passing were getting fainter. Not wanting to get  bogged down in the slower methodical tracking by scent and sound, Lastlight increased his effort but was slowed by one more sending.

*Beloved.*

One word, but infused with Sunflower’s tender patience and acceptance. Lastlight shook off the lure of love and tribe and sped on.

_________________________________

In the end it did take all of his tracking skills to find his father.  The feral elf had eluded him as neatly as a tuft-cat. Several days of chasing his own tail on a trail that criss-crossed and disappeared at times had brought him to a small cave in the eroded cliffside above a small stream.

It may as well have been a tuft-cat den for all the luck he’d had in getting in. Lastlight’s few attempts to get closer had been met with growls and swats from the other elf, leaving Lastlight with nothing but scrapes and bruises for his efforts.  Still, Lastlight found he couldn’t just walk away. He sat down between the den and the stream. Eventually, the other elf would need to come out. Lastlight would wait.