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[jenncgf]

Corker wrote...

Random question time!

The Litany of Adralla - what's up with that?  I assume, from the word "litany" being all right there in its name, that its power comes from its recitation.  That is, the piece of paper upon which it is written is really beside the point. 

So... there's a magic litany which even non-mages can use that renders Blood Control totally ineffective.  Why isn't this taught in every Chantry and to every apprentice mage?

The best reason I can come up with is that the litany must contain information on blood magic - kind of understanding your enemy to defeat him - and the Chantry suppresses it for that reason.  That still seems kind of weaksauce.

Is it cheating to have NPCs learn the Litany of Adralla by heart?  Is the actual piece of paper important?  What's the deal?

I have just one thing to say to that ....


"Klaatuu, Barataa, *cough*makesomethingup*cough*

[LupusYondergirl]

Agreed. I say if they don't tell you, fudge the facts as you see fit. I like the theory that the litany itself contains enough information about blood magic for the Chantry to consider it dangerous. That's a good explanation for why it's not common knowledge.

[jenncgf]

LupusYondergirl wrote...

Agreed. I say if they don't tell you, fudge the facts as you see fit. I like the theory that the litany itself contains enough information about blood magic for the Chantry to consider it dangerous. That's a good explanation for why it's not common knowledge.

That too!

I actually meant that maybe they needed the Litany because it would have been too hard to memorize, a la Army of Darkness.

[Sialater]

I'm picturing the scene at the end of "Willow" with Willow reading from that scroll thing if you have to write it out.



Or, more recently, when Willow Rosenberg went nuclear in Buffy Season 6. Anya had to read that ancient Sumerian anti-magic thing over and over and over....

[Dean_the_Young]

Sarah1281 wrote...

Of course, if it really is a spell like any other that doesn't explain why no one actually knows it and why Niall had to go rushing off to find it. Shouldn't knowing how to prevent blood magic domination be kind of, well, IMPORTANT?!?!

Only if you were expecting to have to face blood mage domination inside the tower. But, since the tower is probably one of the most dangerous places for a blood mage to be, given the number of mages and magic-resistent templars concentrated in the area...

It might as well be analogous to the US's NORAD military radar system pre-9-11. It was great, excellent at tracking the approach of anything outside of North America as it came in... but when something started inside the continent, it was basically a giant donught.

Or, to bring it to Dragon Age terms, one of Alistair's circular cheese wheels the flying devout Anderfel dogs who raised him kept feeding him.

[Shadow of Light Dragon]

Corker wrote...

Random question time!

The Litany of Adralla - what's up with that? 

Check out this codex:

Litany of Adralla

To me it sounds like this is something you can learn, not just read of a page, and Adralla dedicated her study of blood magic defences to more than just the mind control aspect.

Edit: I'd go with the idea that it's a difficult thing to memorise, and possibly in another language (Arcanum, if she was from Tevinter?).

Modifié par Shadow of Light Dragon, 23 août 2010 - 09:19 .

[Miri1984]

Possibly it has to be copied onto a magical parchment by nubile virginal mage apprentices under the light of a waxing moon in the middle of winter... I say this because it's used up when you defeat Uldred - the parchment might wear away once you've read it a few times...

Modifié par Miri1984, 23 août 2010 - 11:12 .

[Shadow of Light Dragon]

It says it runs out of power or something? Or can that be read that it gets damaged (I imagine running around with a piece of paper during a battle with fireballs isn't going to do the Litany any favours)?

If it's definitely the former, I suppose it's possible that this particular item was enchanted by the Tranquil? We don't know if Adralla's techniques required magic (powerful or otherwise) or if non-mages could use them. Either way, they probably required a certain amount of time to learn effectively, so maybe the 'Litany of Adralla' in DA:O was created to circumvent such a need.

Looking for logical work-arounds is fun.

Edit: I missed the part about Wynne insisting it's a spell. If that's the case, then I think the parchment itself being enchanted makes sense. A non-mage can then use it, and it explains it running out of 'uses'.

Whether Adralla wrote down her academic study of blood magic,how to resist mind control and counter all the other sorts of blood magic is open to debate. Since several Tevinter magisters tried to kill her for her work, extant copies may be rare (and restricted. Like someone said, I'm guessing it contains enough research on how blood magic works (along with how it can be resisted) that the information isn't open to everyone. Uldred might have done something with any such notes).

Modifié par Shadow of Light Dragon, 24 août 2010 - 12:16 .

[Shadow of Light Dragon]

Firky wrote...

Hi all,

I have a differently structured "fanfic" which I would like to present for your entertainment - and also feedback - but I am unsure of how to do so.

So, I had a brilliant (in my opinion) idea for an NPC companion. I wrote him for the basic Dragon Age Origins game. He has a backstory and dialogue with the player and various other NPC companions. Despite tinkering around with the toolset, I'm never going to be able to make him - there are too many conditions on dialogue etc - and I totally don't have the smarts to put it all together. And if I put effort into finding someone else to make him, there is the whole DAII, no toolset issue, so what is the point? I could convert him into some kind of fanfic instead and at least a couple of people will then appreciate him. (?)

So, backstory will remain secret. (I'm trying to get his secrets across through dialogue.)

But then what? So I'd briefly write up the circumstances by which he met the player. Then, would I paste "a" conversation between player and he? (I say "a" because I had several player responses and possible paths.) Writing up dialogue between him and other NPC companions is easy (except where conditions are set by game events).

So, does this sound like an interesting thing to read? 
How would I present it within the structure of this forum? (sequentially, and in bite sized pieces so as to give my dude some mystery)


Here is a quick taste of Leliana/Andrei first dialogue. As an example.

L: You are a strange creature.
A: Is there something you require?
L: No, I'm curious. What does it feel like ... to be you?
A: I serve the Grey Wardens. My aim is true and my enchantments will be strong enough.
L: But what I mean is ... you have lost so much and yet you seem so ... I am lost for words. You are indeed a strange creature.
A: By our basic nature, we all seem strange to one another.
L. I ... apologize. I was being impolite.

Missed this before, sorry.

So it sounds like what you're proposing is creating a character who could slot into DA:O. Short of writing out a fanfic where the PC and party meet this character, then read how Andrei interacts with them (banter, personal quests etc) I'm not sure... Anything else (to me) seems to fall out of fanfic and go into the realms of NPC Profile, where you'd go into backstory, quests and dialogue.

I suppose you could try a radio-play type fanfic if you want to write episodes, and keep things in an easy dialogue-type format. People pretty much know the DA:O story anyway, so all you'd need to do is state the location (eg. Haven), who's in the party, what triggers the conversation, stuff like that. I think I'd be interested (and I think I can guess at some of the character's background), but as I don't read a lot of stuff out there maybe someone else could chime in and say if it was something they'd look at.

[LupusYondergirl]

I do know you can't post "script" style stories to ff.net, so there's always that to keep in mind.

[Dean_the_Young]

LupusYondergirl wrote...

I do know you can't post "script" style stories to ff.net, so there's always that to keep in mind.

Strictly speaking, you can... if you go through the effort to make it reasonable. Mind you, that effort's generally harder than just writing sentences, but it can be done.

One style, for example, is the pure-quote strategy. A story only of people talking, no outside description, and you have to let sentence context let the readers identify the speakers. After a point, pretty close to a script format, and you can use different punctuation/text styles (bold, italicize, a familiar lisph, anything) to differentiate speakers.

Another is, well, transcript. If you write a paragraph or two at the beginning or end about how the characters are reading a written transcript, it can be justified. Think 'Oh, I just found this chat log, I wonder what it says...' chat story, 'Oh my!'

Strictly speaking, you don't need much to turn a script into an acceptable story. Even quotations will do. If you look at most of Sarah's DA stories, for example, they're pretty minimalist on the exposition and action, and rely far more on verbal jousts and plays on ideas that are spoken aloud. All that needs is a 'he said' 'then she said' at the right place.

[Sarah1281]

Dean_the_Young wrote...
Strictly speaking, you don't need much to turn a script into an acceptable story. Even quotations will do. If you look at most of Sarah's DA stories, for example, they're pretty minimalist on the exposition and action, and rely far more on verbal jousts and plays on ideas that are spoken aloud. All that needs is a 'he said' 'then she said' at the right place.

That would be because most of those humor one-shots are written in script format when I'm stuck sitting in class as it saves time.  

[Dean_the_Young]

School?



What level, if I might ask? If it isn't college, you damn well could damn well breeze through a liberal arts/writing major.

[Sarah1281]

Dean_the_Young wrote...

School?

What level, if I might ask? If it isn't college, you damn well could damn well breeze through a liberal arts/writing major.

I just started my sophomore year of college today actually.

[FutileSine]

Sarah1281 wrote...

Dean_the_Young wrote...

School?

What level, if I might ask? If it isn't college, you damn well could damn well breeze through a liberal arts/writing major.

I just started my sophomore year of college today actually.

Congrats on just starting sophomore year!  

My senior year of college starts next week....and it makes me a sad panda because that means my time commitment to my story will have to drop considerably....and thus I plan on spending many hours sitting at my computer for the next week,  furiously tapping away at my keyboard as quickly as  the ideas come to me in an effort to get a decent backlog of chapters so I can post somewhat consistently throughout the school year....
 

[Firky]

Shadow of Light Dragon wrote...

Missed this before, sorry.

Don't be sorry. I was really thinking aloud - but thanks for feedback.

Hmmm. Not come under a definition of "fanfic". But probably still a valid "community creation". Radio play. Script. Hmmm.

I guess what I'm trying to do (now I've given up on making NPC Andrei - not that I was seriously entertaining the idea), is tell his story - but only through dialogue. The characters we know, so that helps. The locations/events too.

Screw it. I don't care if no-one reads it. I think I'll organise all of my dialogue into sequential things, point out moments/conditions in the game and present it in maybe 5 short episodes.

Thanks again for feedback. I'll see it as an original creation - instead of fanfic.

PS. You guys are useful. I'm a fanfic n00b, to be sure.

Modifié par Firky, 24 août 2010 - 01:34 .

[FutileSine]

Firky wrote...

Shadow of Light Dragon wrote...

Missed this before, sorry.

Screw it. I don't care if no-one reads it. I think I'll organise all of my dialogue into sequential things, point out moments/conditions in the game and present it in maybe 5 short episodes.

Now thats the spirit!  I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds the premise interesting - but you can look forward to at least one viewer.  :lol:

[Firky]

Thanks - much appreciated. One reader is one reader!

[TanithAeyrs]

Go for it Firky. Community Creations is a perfect place for that kind of thing



@Sarah - Congrats on Sophomore year. College is so much fun, enjoy your time, but don't stop writing, just take breaks when you need to to accomodate your course load.

[mousestalker]

Song about college for those in school or those who've graduated.



What sort of higher education exists in Thedas?

[Sarah1281]

Anora builds universities, at least if she's on alone and maybe with Alistair. Aside from that I doubt Ferelden has any. Bigger nations probably do.

[Shadow of Light Dragon]

Tevinter might have a mage academy (which makes sense to me). One of the DA endings has Connor going there to undergo 'formal study of the Fade'.

For education of the masses, however...aside from those given to the Chantry (which I assume has more schooling than *just* religious education, eg. literacy and maths), what Sarah said is about the only other thing we know.

I haven't ever teared up with something I've written. Maybe I just don't write sad things?

I dunno. I've written things that people have said made them cry, which is great because I intended them to be sad, but I never felt it *myself*. I can get the adrenaline rush from arguments and combat, I snigger and smirk like a big idiot when writing jokes, but writing sad things never made me feel more than an awareness I was producing something emotional.

Modifié par Shadow of Light Dragon, 24 août 2010 - 02:53 .

[TanithAeyrs]

mousestalker wrote...

Song about college for those in school or those who've graduated.

What sort of higher education exists in Thedas?

ROFL for the college song.  OMG the memories.

About higher education in Thedas, probably universities in Orlais, Tevinter and possibly Antiva and Rivain.   My guess is Ferelden is too backwater for such.  Also, Circle Towers would certainly be centers of learning, but probably a bit short on applied knowledge.   Most education in Thedas probably relies on the apprenticeship system.

Modifié par TanithAeyrs, 24 août 2010 - 02:52 .

[Sarah1281]

TanithAeyrs wrote...

mousestalker wrote...

Song about college for those in school or those who've graduated.

What sort of higher education exists in Thedas?

ROFL for the college song.  OMG the memories.

About higher education in Thedas, probably universities in Orlais, Tevinter and possibly Antiva and Rivain.   My guess is Ferelden is too backwater for such.  Also, Circle Towers would certainly be centers of learning, but probably a bit short on applied knowledge.   Most education in Thedas probably relies on the apprenticeship system.

You know, that song made me sad when I first heard it back in high school. I can't even listen to it without feeling nostalgic for something that at the time hadn't happened and now is only partially done.

[LupusYondergirl]

The ending is so true. I walk on campus and all I can think is "how did I get so ollllld!"

(starting my last semester of undergrad... eek, monday!)