The EQ Alternaverse ((PART 1))

actually got the third BOTC novel with the story about Rahnee and Ice so yay, something i can understand! but i was recently musing on the huuuge differences between then and now...like how then, the wolfriders kinda pretty much rejected magic for the most part, hated the high ones/pure elves, so on...vs now, where the elves hold the elders and high ones in revenance, they highly value magic of all kinds, and are in general...much less frickin angry.(ALSO OMG THERE'S A WOLFRIDER NAMED GROOT! XD Guardians of the Galaxy in the tribe!! EDIT:well i THOUGHT i saw the name Groot...but now i can't find it again. >.<)

also i'm kinda on the fence about what "TreeStill" might do. if they kill Furrow...well, it goes against the "no elf should die before his time", putting them in the same ballpark and wrongness as Furrow. at the same time...it might follow bloodfued rules where if Furrow dies, that's it, it's over, no more killing unless someone starts it up all over again.

....i would love to see some massive beating and bruising on Furrow from "TreeStill" though. cause he does deserve that much at least.

Vaeri wrote:

actually got the third BOTC novel with the story about Rahnee and Ice so yay, something i can understand! but i was recently musing on the huuuge differences between then and now...like how then, the wolfriders kinda pretty much rejected magic for the most part, hated the high ones/pure elves, so on...vs now, where the elves hold the elders and high ones in revenance, they highly value magic of all kinds, and are in general...much less frickin angry.

I think their original attitude came from the fact the High Ones/Firstborn immortals in Timmain's group were kinda...incompetent, to put it lightly. (?) And it's sorta Timmain's fault.

I always got the notion they were kinda used to Timmain hunting for them, then Timmorn hunted for them, then his children did. They grew used to that being how things where and they ended up no being able to much for themselves in the end. 
Which made them almost entirely useless to the wolfriders, who grew angry with them.
I don't think 'elders' and 'elder's knowledge of the High Ones' mattered back then. They were too busy trying to survive.
Back then, of you were an old immortal, it was because the wolfriders had put effort into keeping you alive.

I personally think the last remaining immortals were ignored to death by the wolfriders.

By Cutter's reign it's all different. They have much more time to think, so ancient immortals suddenly have value for them.
Sorry if I'm rambling, I just love the Anthologies so much.

Timmain hunted for them because they were unable to survive without her doing that. They had already tried-- they didn't become incompetent because she hunted for them. All she did to them was save their lives. The early Wolf-elves didn't respect the immortals-- because they were weak. They straight up said so. And the immortals didn't respect the Wolf-elves because they were animal-like and limited in their thinking. Some of them ran away to be wolves-- but Rhanee recognized Zarhan (I think- right?) and she led both sides to work together... To the extent that she could. It seemed that she herself was limited and very wolf like-- but the intention filtered down to her son, etc.. So the wolf-elves accepted their role in protecting the others-- and eventually they all interbred... The old ones died off... And finally they were left with a balanced tribe of Wolfriders. Elves with slight wolffish  traits riding wolves with slight elvish traits.

The first children of Timmorn-- with elves and also with wolves as mothers-- always seemed like they would have been interesting though...

Quote :

I personally think the last remaining immortals were ignored to death by the wolfriders

Lol- that's funny. Yeah- it did seem they were pretty pissed off at the uselessness of the high ones and couldn't understand the value in preserving their memories, knowledge and abilities. They were into killing rabbits and never thought to ask questions of people who had travelled through innumerable galaxies.

Zadzi wrote:

How's Oasis going to function after Haken & Co. are gone? Is it going to sort of be like Sorrow's End again? It would probably be quite the rude awakening for them to actually do their own hunting again, I imagine. I know Greenflame is going, but is his dad and Grayling going to go ? I kind of got the impression they were staying... like the old gang, with Suntoucher and Ahdri would stay. I'm really weirded out about Maleen going, even though I understand why.

Grayling and Hansha are still undecided at this point - a future story will give them some new perspective on where they should go. Yep, Oasis will revert to a late-Sorrow's End lifestyle - while Mel will be leaving them a flesh vine or two, I doubt many will want to use it.

Ahdri will step into the Savah role, assisted by Suntoucher and others, and Arshel will continue his quest to impress Leetah by being political. And over on Homestead, Maleen and Melati will have some very awkward Mothers Day brunches while Beast stamps his claw feet and orders them to get along.

Yeah, I definitely have to read those novels.
I always got the feeling from the comics that the early wolfriders contempt for the pureblooded elves (and vice versa) had to do with the early levels of adjustments and not really knowing who they were and how they weren't integrated. At some point they were like gardening and stuff, weren't they? Was there a squeamishness of eating meat? I always got the feeling that certain elves who were more elf-y didn't like meat. Then there was the whole cooked meat issue with the Go-Backs, adding more complexity to the situation. But in general, even the diets between the more elfy elves and wolfriders seemed dissimilar, and then became more integrated. They valued magic I guess post the whole Skyfire/Two-Spear thing according to the comics, but I always wonder at the Timmain problem. Like how she was the one who got them in to their world by pushing them in there with the wolf mating, and how she is taking them out somewhat by trying to get them to return to their more magical palace/whatever roots. But in the process it seems to be giving the wolfriders something of an identity crisis.

One thing I love about Wingthing's stories is how the Palace is just this aspect which gets gathered along the way and becomes another facet . It's an awesome and magical thing but it's not like the elves are all sitting there for hundred or thousands of years contemplating what the hell to do and all lives are at a standstill as they have this never-ending existential crisis, which frankly can get really annoying after a while in FQ and EQ. Some feel a connection to the Palace, others don't, and some create another version of it to go elsewhere. It's great because it doesn't get in the way of the story. Like, their lives aren't just on hold, and the story continues regardless, and there's always more to see as all these other lives are being lived simultaneously. Definitely makes you see how elves (and trolls) in that world are much more well integrated into their world, and have diversified and as a result multiplied and thrived. Also, the humans are much more diverse - some are friendly and you can do trades with, and some are assholes so you avoid them, others are just one big WTF. Which is realistic but also just good to see, because let's face it, it's pretty limiting to have such absolutes in stories to where an actual, staggeringly large populace continues to be so abstract in terms of its outlook and attitude, that it just stays the same across the board. It's very limited and whittles down the world even more.

wingthing wrote:

Grayling and Hansha are still undecided at this point - a future story will give them some new perspective on where they should go. Yep, Oasis will revert to a late-Sorrow's End lifestyle - while Mel will be leaving them a flesh vine or two, I doubt many will want to use it.

Ahdri will step into the Savah role, assisted by Suntoucher and others, and Arshel will continue his quest to impress Leetah by being political. And over on Homestead, Maleen and Melati will have some very awkward Mothers Day brunches while Beast stamps his claw feet and orders them to get along.  

Eeek! Can't wait!

Who's Anshel related to? I'm still reading up everything sorry! I switch between reading the old stuff and Schism.

He's Jethel's dad and quite possibly a distant cousin of Zhantee somewhere in the extremely tangled world of the Oasis family trees (srsly, I don't wanna think about the logistics of some of these tribe expansions. Just keeping everyone from accidently hooking up with their great-grandchildren is hard enough these days!)

Although he's a total Alternaverse invention, I actually found Arshel and his lifemate Teneniah a visual reference in one of the panels of FQ, in case anyone's wondering what they look like.

From FQ #8, among the random Sun Folk assembled to greet Timmain. She caught my eye first as being how I pictured Teneniah, and then I thought - hey, that dude next to her looks smug enough to be Arshel.

wingthing wrote:

He's Jethel's dad and quite possibly a distant cousin of Zhantee somewhere in the extremely tangled world of the Oasis family trees (srsly, I don't wanna think about the logistics of some of these tribe expansions. Just keeping everyone from accidently hooking up with their great-grandchildren is hard enough these days!)

Although he's a total Alternaverse invention, I actually found Arshel and his lifemate Teneniah a visual reference in one of the panels of FQ, in case anyone's wondering what they look like.

From FQ #8, among the random Sun Folk assembled to greet Timmain. She caught my eye first as being how I pictured Teneniah, and then I thought - hey, that dude next to her looks smug enough to be Arshel.

O,O ok!

Hilarious. They both look like, Ok whatever, let's get this over with, I hear Moonshade made Koolaid jello and we'll try to look excited for that.

I'm not sure why but I'm starting to think she's the one Pike steals a basket from when the wolfriders raid Sorrow's End. O_o

Zadzi wrote:

Yeah, I definitely have to read those novels.
I always got the feeling from the comics that the early wolfriders contempt for the pureblooded elves (and vice versa) had to do with the early levels of adjustments and not really knowing who they were and how they weren't integrated.

Yeah! I think it had a lot to do with them just know being able to comprehend what the high ones were. Their minds were so limited. And even Cutter's group (with the exception, maybe, of Skywise and Suntop and Savah) don't seem to be really getting what they have in Timmain. Here's a being, standing next to them, who has travelled for centuries through space and has all this knowledge of the universe, much less their origins, stored in her head. If I were them- I'd be asking her questions all day. Instead, they're just like "let's go hunt some deer!" And "she's our mom but makes us feel slightly uncomfortable so let's just avoid her" or "Hey! Let's make some crystal deer!" I really hope Moonshade at least has figured this out.

And yes-- that's what I like about Wingthing's stories too- the practical ur of the palace and the evolution of the elves.

i am so sorry for getting this thread so derailed....XD

but back on topic yay Greyling and Hansha stuff! and awkward mother in law/daughter in law moments!

also really cool to see Teneniah and Arshel! pretty much gave them the Teru treatment. :p he kinda looks a bit like Rayek, and she looks a bit like...surprisingly, Eyes High. O.o

Whoa, she does! They go to the same hairdresser at any rate - hah I had never noticed that!

well that almost begs for a scene with Eyes High in Oasis, perhaps checking on Skywise, and Arshel momentarily mistakes her for his lifemate while Shale does the same with Teneniah :p

or some kind of scene with them together and some kind of confusion. XD wonder if elfmom did that unintentionally...?

Sun Girl and I are working through the edits on Part 3 of The Schism. In the meantime, have a sneak peek:

Foxglove wiggled her toes inside her boots. She clenched and unclenched her fists helplessly. It was the only movement the Tree would allow her now. She had been struggling to walk when the many trunks of the Evertree had closed around her, but now she could not touch the ground. She hung suspended inside a latticework of branches, some thick as her thigh, others slender as twigs. Her arms and legs were pinned – even her head was held firm, by the many wooden fingers threaded through her hair. Trying to peek over her shoulder at her fellow captives caused a fresh bloom of pain in her scalp. She felt something sticky on her forehead – tree sap or her own blood?

“Ivy?” she called again, but a wordless sob was the only response. Inwardly, Foxglove cursed the gentle Holtmaiden. A miller of capnuts and a baker of flatbread, she hadn’t the skills to last one day with the Hunt. Nor the strength to endure this, it seemed. Typical.

But then she remembered: Ivy had escaped the Tree’s grasp, but she come back to save Foxglove.

“Duskwind?” If she twisted her head as far right as her bonds would allow, she could just make out a face at the very edge of her vision: golden-brown skin and golden-red hair – a cheekbone and a clenched jaw and a brow furrowed deeply in pain.

**Duskwind?** she tried again.

“Don’t…” he muttered through his teeth. His head snapped back sharply, striking one of the many branches wound about him, and he cried out.

“It’s not your name to use!” he roared in uncharacteristic rage. But then his head fell forward, and he fell silent.

“Whose name?” Foxglove demanded. “Duskwind!”

He could not answer. But Ivy did. Through tremulous sobs, she hissed out “It… knows... my soulname!”

oh jeez--this doesn't look like a good outlook *bites nails in anticipation*

oh nooo...the spirits are completely rebelling and using bad form! guess it's entirely possible they WILL kill Furrow...

The spirits have lost all concept of boundaries, at any rate!

See, elves, this is why genre-savvy humans never build houses over haunted graveyards! You bury your loved ones IN your house? Hoo boy.

But then these Wolfriders are the least genre-aware elves. Pool still thinks he's the lead of a poignant "end of life" Lifetime drama, and Kitfire thought they were in a Law and Order spinoff.

I do hope Foxglove, Ivy and Duskwind all make it out alive but I'm cheering on the tree up to the point where it seriously harms Furrow and then I'll be worried like everybody else.

At the risk of spoiling, let's just say Littlefire and Kit agree with you, Shadowpath!

Can't wait for the next installment, I love what I've read so far.
Yeah, it's creepy because as much as I want the tree to truly hurt Furrow, it would also mean it's very capable of hurting those other 3 and it just would do it (and is definitely doing it now). That tree feels fairly indiscriminate in how it's going to dole out justice...I'm not seeing it as exactly capable of rational thought, which is disturbing. I keep feeling it's about sacrifice and the means justifying the end in some way... hmmm. Makes me want to say that I have no inner conflict about calling the tree 'The Scary One'.
It really is.


Love your mentioning Pool's end of life experience as a Lifetime movie. Ha!
Pool would probably cast John Stamos to play him

BTW, the more Kit/Little Fire installments I read, the more I really adore them. They've become so integrated, I love it!

And it's up! Body horror abounds as the Evertree unveils its master plan.

http://www.janesenese.com/swiftverse/schism3.html

I approve of Furrow's fate. O.O Well done!
I love the little bit with Foxglove,Kit and Little Fire near the end. 
The Evertree sounds absolutely monstrous in the end. Very chilling.