71 replies to this topic

[Bobryk]

QUOTE (Nayr @ May 30 2012, 07:47 PM)

Well I just got halfway through the first book. The dragon/cyclops/hurlock/serpent chimera was creative and unexpected. Definitely can see where Fire Emblem and Dragon Age inspirations(The Deep Roads and the room with the dream eating demon are a bit too obvious though) are.

Dragon Age isn't one of my inspirations, so that's unintentional. I can totally see where you got the Deep Roads reference though. And I'm guessing dream siren= sloth demon? Maybe? If so, completely unintentional also (I actually just thought of that now), but again I can totally see the reference.

QUOTE

Euwart and Adrian kind of remind me of my dad in a few aspects. Euwart in the way my dad thinks about people in authority(like how Euwart thinks that one general is dumb,) and Adrian because my Dad was a bit of a player in his youth, and is generally pretty dedicated to his work.

You're awesome for getting that Adrian's a bit of a player XD. Not too many people pick up on that.

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Tristan, seems kinda wussy. And the whole Holy Knights thing screams Templar.

Tristan is a huge wuss. Again, more unintentional DA references. I can see it though (aside from the whole mage hunting thing).

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Lloyd, I cant help but imagine speaking with the voice of Vulpes Inculta from Fallout New Vegas.(Look him up on YT if you haven't played.)

HAH! That's wicked funny. I've never played Fallout (just looked up the guy on YT). I imagined Lloyd with a bit deeper voice but that's pretty spot on.

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Sigurd seems to fit the bill of the mature character of the group. But other than that, he doesn't seem much like a leader other than the occasional decision making, which is just saying yes to the advice of Adrian. He's overshadowed by Lloyd and Euwart in battle. I'm probably being a little more harsh with him cause he's supposed to be the main character, but doesn't seem to stand out yet. - I expect character development coming his way.

He's a leader in training and yes his combat skills aren't quite up to par yet. The four are pretty much the "main characters" but you can consider Sig as the "focus character." He'll have his moments, promise.

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Rose and Mia - Its an interesting twist to have the main character and his bf/supporter to already be in relationships, as opposed to building them through the story. But I'm glad they didn't accompany Sig and Euwart, cause the bandit raid gave me a kind of Spritle and Chim-Chim feel with them, tagging along when its risky and dangerous.

Trust me, that took some heavy decision making on my part (the whole bit about them already being in established relationships). But I think I'm glad with how that turned out, anyway.

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General Beauregard, throw in a character named Lucas to play off him and you'll have a Dukes of Hazzard reference on your hands.

Also wicked funny. Never thought of that.

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The Black Knight. . . I'm guessing if he has some semblance of his original mind left, he's probably wishing he'd stayed home with his kids.

Heh, maybe. That's all I'll say about that.

Thanks for the reply!

[Bobryk]

Apologies for the double post, but it's been a week, so the blog has been updated!

A new excerpt (featuring a new, never-before seen character!) and an updated character quote of the day await (from an unexpected source, no doubt).

http://thedreamwar.blogspot.com/

[Nayr]

Read a little more into Royal Seal.

TBK is a cheater. He agreed no magical crap and then pulls a magic sword out.

Also I think Tristan and Lloyd are setting off my gaydar. I know Tristan has a redhead fetish, but it seems like Lloyd is taking an odd interest in him.

Also Lloyd gives me a FE7-Karel feel. His stoic and cold demeanor, his lust for a worthy opponent, and his mentoring a lesser experienced swordsman(although Karel's reason was different than what I've mentioned suspecting Lloyd of.)

Plus, why include three guards to accompany Adrian with Sigurd's gang? They're unnamed and practically never mentioned, yet are supposed to be with them all the time.

[Bobryk]

QUOTE (Nayr @ Jun 7 2012, 12:56 AM)

Read a little more into Royal Seal. TBK is a cheater. He agreed no magical crap and then pulls a magic sword out. Also I think Tristan and Lloyd are setting off my gaydar. I know Tristan has a redhead fetish, but it seems like Lloyd is taking an odd interest in him. Also Lloyd gives me a FE7-Karel feel. His stoic and cold demeanor, his lust for a worthy opponent, and his mentoring a lesser experienced swordsman(although Karel's reason was different than what I've mentioned suspecting Lloyd of.) Plus, why include three guards to accompany Adrian with Sigurd's gang? They're unnamed and practically never mentioned, yet are supposed to be with them all the time.

Yep, he totally cheated.

LOL AT GAYDAR. THAT IS HILARIOUS. Not what I intended XD

Not responding to the rest of it for fear of spoiling what's to come, but all I'll say is you'll see soon enough.

[Nayr]

Okay I sat down today and read the rest of the book through.

my thoughts (Click Here To Hide/Show Text)

You certainly wasted no time and detail killing off those three poor guards.

It sounds like Bryce was like Adrian in his youth. And it sounds like he is inspiration for what Adrian may do later in his life. Retire, settle down, raise a family.

I certainly didn't see Terrowan and the Black Knight being separate entities. I have to wonder why he resembled him. Evil twin perhaps? Or maybe TBK was really Tristan's momma in the form of Terrowan. That would be fun.

Only Lloyd could kill a king and have his subjects demand him replace the fellow. Sorry to say, I didn't really believe him dead. It's a cliche to have someone die and show up to help save the day in the end. Him returning at the head of an army was a nice twist though. But I knew it was him the moment you described a man with long black hair.

The king being an impostor reminded me of something I saw in a Dragon Quest game, where a kingdom's king was a monster in disguise. Unless you were going for an Alexandre Dumas twist and they were twins.

GO GO GO Tristlloyd!!! xD Ariglioth can be the first nation with a same sex monarchy.

The idea that Sigurd is a descendant of Moris is already given some evidence in my opinion. The fact that he managed to jump on the Black Knight and hold him for as long as he did without bursting into flames like many did from sheer proximity implies he is immune to dark magic.

You bastard! You killed Mia! Truthfully, I expected that from very early on. Rose is sort of the leading lady, so that gives her a bit of immunity. But Mia, the buxom blonde attached to a supporting character, that's fair game. But it was damn stupid of her to run off like that. She's no warrior, at best she'd just get in the way of the real fighters.

Sounds like this robed and red eyed person(presumably either the evil crusader or Tristan's mom) is replacing the leaders of nations with impostors who'll weaken the nations and leave them vulnerable for when the minions of hell are ready to start another Great War. Destroy the enemy from within if you would.

My guess: The story will end with Sigurd wielding that legendary sword and facing off against the lord of hell himself.

[Bobryk]

Woot! I'll respond to everything now.

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my thoughts (Click Here To Hide/Show Text) QUOTE You certainly wasted no time and detail killing off those three poor guards. lol, yep. Told you they had a use! XD QUOTE It sounds like Bryce was like Adrian in his youth. And it sounds like he is inspiration for what Adrian may do later in his life. Retire, settle down, raise a family. Good man. My intention for Bryce was to essentially be an older Adrian. QUOTE I certainly didn't see Terrowan and the Black Knight being separate entities. I have to wonder why he resembled him. Evil twin perhaps? Or maybe TBK was really Tristan's momma in the form of Terrowan. That would be fun. Yeah, I trolled a lot with the Black Knight's identity. It will be revealed later on, and I don't think you can make a factual guess on who TBK was based on what I said. Random guess, sure, but I don't think I gave any hard evidence so you can believe what you want! QUOTE Only Lloyd could kill a king and have his subjects demand him replace the fellow. Sorry to say, I didn't really believe him dead. It's a cliche to have someone die and show up to help save the day in the end. Him returning at the head of an army was a nice twist though. But I knew it was him the moment you described a man with long black hair. It's totally cliche' but that's how it happened way back when (6 years ago) when I imagined the scene, so it was left the same. I couldn't bear change it QUOTE The king being an impostor reminded me of something I saw in a Dragon Quest game, where a kingdom's king was a monster in disguise. Unless you were going for an Alexandre Dumas twist and they were twins. That will also be revealed in due time, but unlike TBK, there is some hard evidence on what was going on in Ariglioth. QUOTE GO GO GO Tristlloyd!!! xD Ariglioth can be the first nation with a same sex monarchy. F U. Haha. QUOTE The idea that Sigurd is a descendant of Moris is already given some evidence in my opinion. The fact that he managed to jump on the Black Knight and hold him for as long as he did without bursting into flames like many did from sheer proximity implies he is immune to dark magic. Indeed! Good pick up. QUOTE You bastard! You killed Mia! Truthfully, I expected that from very early on. Rose is sort of the leading lady, so that gives her a bit of immunity. But Mia, the buxom blonde attached to a supporting character, that's fair game. But it was damn stupid of her to run off like that. She's no warrior, at best she'd just get in the way of the real fighters. Hit the nail on the head there. QUOTE Sounds like this robed and red eyed person(presumably either the evil crusader or Tristan's mom) is replacing the leaders of nations with impostors who'll weaken the nations and leave them vulnerable for when the minions of hell are ready to start another Great War. Destroy the enemy from within if you would. Tough one to answer without spoiling, so I won't . All I'll say is you've got a solid prediction going on. QUOTE My guess: The story will end with Sigurd wielding that legendary sword and facing off against the lord of hell himself. Again, won't answer due to spoiling issues, but remember one thing: Moris, the crusader Sigurd thinks he may be descended from, did not wield a legendary sword.

[Nayr]

Some suggestions if you haven't completely detailed the plot yet.

Teh stuff (Click Here To Hide/Show Text)

Give Euwart a new love interest later on. Someone to help him heal. But with an ironic twist. Like an archer(since he hates archery) and make them hate each other at first but grow to care about each other.

Also if you ever watched Full Metal Alchemist, the murder of Maes Hughes presented a situation that would be interesting to see Euwart in. In FMA, the shapeshifter named Envy turned into Hughes' wife, Gracia, so he wouldn't fight. And then she shot him. Having Euwart go against an enemy that could turn into Mia would be an excellent test of his resolve

Since Sigurd is already in an established relationship and now engaged. Test his commitment to Rose some with a little temptation. He's going to be traveling around places with new and exotic women and he is a man.

For humor: Give Adrian an STD that he'll need to have cured. A player in an age without protection is at high risk. And an itch or swelling everyone can tease him over for sleeping around, something like chlamydia would be pretty funny.

Serious personal issues between the protagonists, something could make them come to blows over and make up later would be entertaining to see. The bickering seemed to mostly be for humor purposes.

[Bobryk]

maybeh (Click Here To Hide/Show Text)

There's a possibility that a few of those have already been planned.

[Bobryk]

Minor updates to the blog today, namely the Character Profiles and Fun Facts sections, along with some design tweaks. There are also two excerpts from the next book if you haven't seen those yet. Check it out! You know you want to.

http://thedreamwar.blogspot.com/

[Nayr]

So, anybody going to have seasickness early into The Curse of the Magi?

Be funny if it's Lloyd if so. Man always acts so cool and stoic in other situations. Be interesting to show him face an enemy even he cant resist.

But knowing you, it'd probably be Euwart and he'll make a list of everything he hates about the ocean. lol

[Nayr]

Would you be horribly offended if I tried spriting some characters from your book?

I'd need a descriptions to work with though(Don't feel like hunting through your book for every little reference to a character's appearance). Sigurd and Rose I could just base off the cover art, although Sigurd's hair and Rose's dress are a bit unreasonable lol. And there is a difference between real life and the anime'ish FE style.

[Bobryk]

Haha no, there will be no "things Euwart hates about the ocean list" XD (I forgot about the desert one until you mentioned it actually).

And sure! I don't mind at all. What characters were you thinking? I'm guessing Euwart, Adrian, Tristan and/or Lloyd? (Since Sig and Rose are easily done from the cover like you said)

[Fire Blazer]

Nuuuuuu I haven't met Sig and Rose yet but now I know they're on the cover! Nuuuuuu

wait actually I think I did meet Rose... gah, stupid reading block, it's worse than writer's block! *is still on page 27*

[Nayr]

QUOTE (Bobryk @ Jun 14 2012, 10:22 AM)

Haha no, there will be no "things Euwart hates about the ocean list" XD (I forgot about the desert one until you mentioned it actually). And sure! I don't mind at all. What characters were you thinking?  I'm guessing Euwart, Adrian, Tristan and/or Lloyd? (Since Sig and Rose are easily done from the cover like you said)

Yeah he hates the heat, sand, Tristan, wind, and horses IIRC.

I figure he'd hate the rocking(I've got a little experience, the rocking when the waves are harsh throws off your balance and can make you feel twice as heavy when you're walking against the wave. And you feel sore for a day or so after.), nausea, seagulls, water(you can slip on the water that splashes on the deck.) For a comic relief guy like Euwart, these would be the things that would pester him.

And of course, they would be the only characters that get enough screentime to have a face attached.

I've already got a few ideas in mind for what Tristan and Euwart would wear(an OC character of mine has a perfect outfit for Tristan, and I imagine Euwart dressing like the TCG artwork of Beowolf from FE4.). And I still cant imagine Lloyd without seeing that Cover Art of Sigurd, so giving a bit of distinction would be nice.

As for Adrian, there's an OC of ShinyCharmander's that I picture when I read his lines, so I'd probably reference that.

But generally I'd need details like hair color/style/length, eye color, distinct characteristics like scars, visible birth marks, defining features like a certain type of nose, chin, eyebrows, or jawline.

[Nayr]

Other conclusions I've arrived to with the time I've had sitting on what I've read.

Stuffs (Click Here To Hide/Show Text)

1. Like said, there's a reason the North wanted Vellard so badly. I think I know why. Tristan's brothers. The demons seem drawn to the ones with holy blood because they want to kill them. And two of them live in Vellard.

Although one would wonder why they didn't just have King Durnan replaced with an impostor like Ariglioth's king, then have him surrender.

2. The reason the Black Knight looks like Terrowan. He's probably not even really human, or has a special magic. Meaning he/she/it can take any form and chose Terrowan's because it would throw people off(like his children in Vellard when they laid siege. Although it didn't fool Tristan, it might have fooled his brothers.)

3. There's something going on in the enemy ranks as well. The Black Knight didn't seem truly malevolent. Maybe a bit of a cheater. But he sounded like he believed he was doing the right thing by conquering Entervia.

Perhaps the "Lord of Hell" isn't the true mastermind behind the events in motion. The person described who is visiting the countries when their leaders become corrupted sounds like Vox, the seventh crusader. Perhaps he's the big bad and has his own logic for his actions. Since he's the one who destroyed the Holy Knights and sealed away the Tower, and they need to gather the keys to open it.

4. It would have been easier for them to traverse the desert if the rested during day and traveled by night. Frigid cold isn't good, but it is more pleasant than intense heat.

[Bobryk]

Sorry for the delays in replying! I lent my life to my job for a good 25 hours this weekend...

And I would've posted last night but I ended up passing out after work. And what I mean by that is I went out drinking with friends and then passed out at home. Technically I still passed out after work!

@Blazer Page 27? You've met her. Only briefly though

@Nayr, k, here's what I owe you.

First, to your predictions:

Stuffs (Click Here To Hide/Show Text)

1. There is a reason, but... Tristan's brothers did not inherit the Holy bloodline. Only the first born does (and Tristan is the oldest). This is only stated once in the entire book though (Chapter 4).

2. Not bad! I'm not saying whether you're right or wrong though

3. Indeed- the Black Knight isn't really evil (stated in part 2: chapter 16 when Tristan is surprised by a lack of an "evil aura."

About the second bit, I'll lay off that one . Although one can't overlook Vox's importance I didn't dedicate half a chapter to him for nothing

4. Quite. However, A: They're on limited time and B: You can mark that as one of Sigurd's "leadership errors."

Okay! Now on to some character descriptions:

Sigurd: (Click Here To Hide/Show Text)

The cover art is decent enough, except I intended for him to have shorter hair. Well kept and neat, dark brown hair. Dark Brown eyes. Fairly lean/athletic build. Average size nose, clean shaven, semi-tan skin, Semi-serious expression. You can be a bit liberal with the other nit-picky descriptions since people like imaging what characters look like on their own anyway.

Euwart (Click Here To Hide/Show Text)

He's supposed to have longer hair than Sigurd (than shorter haired Sig anyway). Brown hair, but a bit lighter than Sig's. Probably on the messier side as well. Brown eyes, but again, a bit lighter. Lighter skin tone than Sig. Obviously muscular build . I picture him with a confident expression. Same with Sig- go crazy with the minor details.

Adrian (Click Here To Hide/Show Text)

Short brown hair, a tad messy, and some scruffiness. Not a full-on-beard, but I think you get the idea. Brown eyes. Similar skin tone to Euwart. A strong build. Should have a sort of serious but sort of playful/fun expression but you can be liberal with it.

Lloyd (Click Here To Hide/Show Text)

Long black hair (shoulder-length or so). Not brown in the slightest- just pure black. Dark eyes, almost black. White skin, a little color, but not as much as Euwart/Adrian. Tall and lean build. Clean shaven. Should have a "doesn't give a shit" or something along those lines expression (Rutger's from Fe6 comes to mind). I always pictured him somewhat like Navarre from Shadow Dragon but with much shorter hair.

Tristan (Click Here To Hide/Show Text)

Short, dirty-blond hair. Blue eyes. Clean shaven. Nearly pale-white skin. Skinny and not muscular, shorter than everyone else. Not tough looking whatsoever.

Also, the reason for so many dark-haired people is to reinforce one of Tristan's inner conflicts-- he doesn't know where he belongs. He's always different from the people he meets. Stated right after they meet Adrian.

Okay! There's the main cast. If you want the girls too I can give those as well.

[Nayr]

Stuffs (Click Here To Hide/Show Text)

1. What about their own descendants? Even if they don't inherit the powers; arguably their respective firstborns would.

2. Your reaction implies that I'm close.

3. Considering how you act with the Black Knight and how you'll reveal his identity later. I'm guessing he's not dead and is someone we already know about. If he was just some stranger there wouldn't be any point.

Also:

Sigurd (Click Here To Hide/Show Text)

Good, I hate to think how awful his hair would turn out if I tried spriting that cover art.

Euwart (Click Here To Hide/Show Text)

I would sprite Euwart with a confident smirk and a strong chin, kinda like Wade from FE6. And his turned upward like Asthol's.

Lloyd (Click Here To Hide/Show Text)

I thought of Rutgar too.

Adrian (Click Here To Hide/Show Text)

Adrian makes me think of this sprite by ShinyCharmander. http://www.majhost.c...t1/lolzjoel.png

Might ask him to let me use that as a base.

Tristan (Click Here To Hide/Show Text)

I cant make skin too pale in FE or it kills the contrasting of the sprite. I'll probably use feminine tones, which are generally more fair than males.

[Bobryk]

All those sound good to me! The base for Adrian is near-perfect as well. Looking forward to how these things turn out

And...

Usual spoiler stuff (Click Here To Hide/Show Text)

1. Just the first born inherits the blood-- the others, even descendants of Terrowan's other sons, would not have the Holy bloodline. Only the first-born can become a Holy Warrior. and they wonder why the Order died out

2. "not bad" was aimed toward your deductive reasoning on stuff. I won't say whether you're close at all or not

3. I wouldn't say you "know" him, but...that's all I'll say on the matter.

[Nayr]

Okay, new theories.

Teh Stuff (Click Here To Hide/Show Text)

1. There is more than one force at work. Sigurd and friends are caught in the middle between several forces vying for Oniro. Separate factions who all believe they know what is best for the world.

Hell, who wants conquest.

The Black Knight, whose true intentions remain a mystery, but is apparently not evil.

Terrowan, who is probably on a zealous religious frenzy and wants to destroy everything his god doesn't approve of. His wife is probably dead, and not departed. When you summon "holy" magic against dark magic things usually die.

etc. All have their own intentions and are going against each other.

2. Based on the above theory, the different powers are probably out to get the keys to the World's Tower. The power to destroy or remake the world arguably exists at its top floor. But to do that, they need the keys, which seem to be entrusted to the rulers of each of the world's nations.

3. Physical Vox is trying to keep the other factions from gaining the keys, hence why the rulers of Nations are being replaced with corrupt assholes. They would never lend aid, would never surrender the keys, and are destroying their nations citizens to bolstering their own power. All to protect the keys.

4. Based on the suggested alternative history, Vox probably had a reason to turn on the Crusaders, and not because he was evil. Maybe they had an ulterior motive that he got wind of. Like misusing the World's Tower, so he sets himself up to become its protector. Destroys the Holy Order who would side with them and guards the tower in spirit while his body protects the keys.

5. The Black Knight may have used the North to invade Entervia to get Durnan's key before he could be replaced.


6. Tristan, and by extension Sigurd and his friends are likely being manipulated by Terrowan into attaining the keys for him.

Some of this probably sounds rambley. But you should understand what I'm getting at.

[Bobryk]

Sorry it took so long (been busy and I've been a tad MIA) but I finally updated the blog today! This is quite a large update.

I was asked to write up a short synopsis (mainly a teaser) for marketing purposes, so I've updated the front page with that.

There are no spoilers, but it tells you just what Book Two is about.

http://thedreamwar.blogspot.com/

(It hasn't been used yet so it's still technically an "unofficial teaser.)

Also updated the Character Quote of the Day box, like I do every time I update.

And @Nayr

Nice deduction there. It's kind of fun to read theories about my own book XD. Especially when there are so many different ones! Other friends have talked to me, trying to guess at things, and have come up with completely different theories based on what I've said in the text. It's kinda cool, really, that so many possibilities for guesses/predictions/theories exist just from this first book . now I know how an English teacher feels

Naturally I'm not telling anyone who's right though. But are some people on to something? Of course!