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 Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 3:35 pm
I'm still not sure what the problem is here. I mean, if the darkness is the result of dark elf magic, why not just have someone say so? Or would this be some kind of cliché? I mean, have a narrator tell the reason for the darkness...
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Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:01 pm
Aye, I suppose, 'tis just that I like to try to explain myself if I can. More for me than anyone else. I suppose I can live with the fact that it's just magic though.
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 4:08 pm
Yeah, that's pretty much what I was thinking. And besides, if the story is intriguing and involving, who cares where the darkness comes from? mrgreen
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Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 12:06 am
Question!
All right, it's more medical than technical, but whatever.
Is it possible to injure your leg so much that you spend years afterward still limping? One of my magicians (the main character, actually) is a little "unlucky" during a campaign (meaning they encounter unforeseen resistance along the way). They've lost a lot of their supplies and winter is on its way, so they can't treat her wound properly. Also, would breaking her foot or giving it a rather nasty cut most likely result in seemingly ever-lasting limping? I'm guessing breaking her foot, but...
Thanks in advance!
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Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 1:05 pm
I think that does happen, although I don't know exactly what kinds of injuries cause it. I've seen a few people who have that problem.
My dad limps badly now because of his back condition (something very similar to MS which started off as something called Transverse Myelitis), and a friend's father limps because he's had mini strokes.
Those are two medical conditions.
When it comes to injuries though, you'd be better off googling it (and finding the right information may come in bits and pieces from many difference websites - I found this to be the case when I was researching something medical), or asking a doctor. Don't forget that most of a writer's work is research rather than the actual writing.
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Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2008 9:00 pm
Heck yeah a broken bone could do that if it isn't properly cared for. If a bone isn't set just right and it heals wrong, you could easily end up with a permanent limp. And if a leg bone is completely shattered, especially if we're talking a medieval-type setting, a person might never regain use of the leg at all and be stuck on crutches the rest of their life.
There are a great many such documented cases throughout history.
My money would be on something big and heavy falling on it.
Then, of course, there would be damage to tendons and muscles. I don't know much in the way of this sort of an injury, but I would hazard that if the Achilles Tendon was massively screwed up and then not treated right, your foot would never work right again.
Berz.
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Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 5:26 am
Thanks! I thought it would be possible but since I don't know much about it, it would be a good idea to ask or I'd probably make someone hit her leg with a friggin' huge sledge, say it healed within a week and give her a cane. Oops.
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Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 8:21 pm
DM_Melkhar This is where writing and world creation gets technical. So, this is separate from the World Creation thread. It's quite different. Everyone who's a writer should join in on this because hopefully it'll help all of us get the clarity we need to be successful authors. Mmkay?
I'll be posting the first questions.
1.) I need to get a message from one character to another within a day or as soon as possible.
2.) These characters are between 1000 and 1500 miles apart.
3.) If someone walks at a normal pace, which is about 4mph, he/she can walk about 52 miles in 13 hours right?
4.) If you're travelling 50 miles to a town from the wilderness in freezing/snowy conditions, what kind of delay would you put on travel on foot?
5.) What kinds of birds besides geese can fly 1000 miles in a day at least?
We're talking a bird carrying the message here.
Hence why I call this thread "the writer's workshop". I'm sorry. I can't help it. Please forgive me: Is this sparrow African or European?
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Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 10:46 am
I didn't say anything about a sparrow.... neutral
Sparrows are too small to carry letters and the likes, and I don't know anything about various different species of sparrow.
I know doves and pigeons have been used to carry messages, but I was looking into birds that can withstand cold climates and how far they can fly in a certain amount of time with and without periods of rest.
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Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2008 10:47 pm
You've never seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail, have you?
Seriously, though, possible answers for your updated messenger pidgeon may be the wandering albatross, for distances, or either a gyrfalcon or peregrine falcon--both good for speed and known for distance (migratory); the Gyrfalcon best known for cold weather survival, living basically in northern Montana on up, and mainly, it appears, in Canada's Northern Territories and Alaska.
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Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2008 11:36 pm
A question of my own, if I may:
I enjoy inserting massive amounts of disguised references and symbology into my stories.
At the moment, I'm working on the designing of a city which, generically, yes, I know, is called Salem.
The idea is to create a double meaning in the name, much of the setting, and the goings on as possible.
Salem--IRL--is typically remembered as either Salem, OR, or the witch tirals. It's also the name of the city ruled by Melchizedek during the same time period as the Tower of Babel.
The Salem of my story is a greatly peaceful city, much like the biblical one. It's also under attack by vampires (under a different name) and the spread of the vampiric plague (vampirism spreads by virus in the story).
The city setup will definatly consist of 13 lines (walls), and the center will be a star--though whether the Star/Shield of David or a Pentacle has yet to be decided.
Does anybody here have any knowldege on these two symbols, and could they please offer an opinion as to which one to use, keeping up the double-meaning theme?
Thanks,
Az
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Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 11:06 am
Azriel_de_Leon You've never seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail, have you? Seriously, though, possible answers for your updated messenger pidgeon may be the wandering albatross, for distances, or either a gyrfalcon or peregrine falcon--both good for speed and known for distance (migratory); the Gyrfalcon best known for cold weather survival, living basically in northern Montana on up, and mainly, it appears, in Canada's Northern Territories and Alaska.
The Gyrfalcon eh? I'll have to look that one up.Azriel_de_Leon A question of my own, if I may: I enjoy inserting massive amounts of disguised references and symbology into my stories. At the moment, I'm working on the designing of a city which, generically, yes, I know, is called Salem. The idea is to create a double meaning in the name, much of the setting, and the goings on as possible. Salem--IRL--is typically remembered as either Salem, OR, or the witch tirals. It's also the name of the city ruled by Melchizedek during the same time period as the Tower of Babel. The Salem of my story is a greatly peaceful city, much like the biblical one. It's also under attack by vampires (under a different name) and the spread of the vampiric plague (vampirism spreads by virus in the story). The city setup will definatly consist of 13 lines (walls), and the center will be a star--though whether the Star/Shield of David or a Pentacle has yet to be decided. Does anybody here have any knowldege on these two symbols, and could they please offer an opinion as to which one to use, keeping up the double-meaning theme? Thanks, Az
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Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:07 pm
There's an argument as to how a coconut could end up in England. Sombody proposes that a sparrow could do it; then an argument begins as to how and what kind of sparrow could carry a coconut to England, considering they don't/can't grow there.
At the end of the movie, everyone has to cross a bridge--and in order to cross it, they have to answer three questions each. One of the questions posed it "What is the velocity of an unladen sparrow?", to which the question "African or European" was fired back.
~~~
Ah, Wikipedia. Definatly leaning toward the Pentacle--only downside the Star might be considered having is that it was once a popular... I want to say Islamic symbol.
But then, having a symbol so virtually undisputingly meaning good would be an awesome way of seeing to it that there is a correct way to precieve the city/foreshadowing of it's true nature or what might happen there.
Thanks---
Any other opinions?
Az
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Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 11:26 am
Ok, if that question was asked, I didn't see it...and I certainly didn't post it.
The Star of David certainly isn't an Islamic symbol! sweatdrop
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Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 1:55 pm
As I understand it, you were looking for a fast bird that could carry letters and travel great distance--my mind instantly thought of sparrows carrying coconuts from the tropics....sorry. Mind jump. And I quote from the page you listed from Wikipedia on the Star of David: Wikipedia On other flags The flags of Candaroglu and Beylik of Karaman used the same design. In medieval times, the star was known as the Seal of Solomon, and was a popular Islamic symbol. I've checked some of the back story--the main trail the links lead--and apparantly there's a number of islamic--two at the very least--that contain the same symbol under the name of the Seal of Solomon--one in which Solomon lost the seal/signant ring, the other in which a genie was trapped in a bottle with a seal stamped by the ring (this second story is apparantly one of the Arabian Nights). The first story is backed by the Jewish Encyclopedia--as a story, not as fact. So it seems more of a pop-culture symbol than religious in this case. Any other takes/opinions on the topic are appreciated!
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