I might be straying off topic with this, but I'm facing a dilemma right now and wanted your advice. I've been interested in writing for some time now but short of writing for myself and the Pierce College newspaper (yes, I'm a local boy ), I've been having trouble trying to get my foot in the door. I know you were probably in about the same place I am right now at some point in time. I figure if there's anyone who could give me a meaningful pointer or two, it would probably be you.
I realy like the ravnica book one so far. the story feels like a mix of classic fantasy and a detective story. my question is about the time between Zunich's death and the decamillenial. the dates at the beginning of the chapters say that about 57 years has passed, but several places in the book refer to nZunich being dead for eight decades. do you know anything about this or is it just something with the editing like typo or something.
"Please don't disillusion me. I haven't had breakfast yet."
-Children of the Mind
to whom it may concern: i apologize in advance for any gspelling or grammar errors in py posts. for some reason i am just not as
good at tyoing or proofreading as i would like to be
I was wondering if New York (or any other city for that matter) helped you with the feel of the place.
Manhattan was exactly what I was thinking of with the "street canyons." The tight alleys and markets were sort of a mental cross between the marketplace in Raiders of the Lost Ark and some of the places I saw on my sole trip to London. Other areas of street-level Ravnica and the undercity were inspired by numerous sources: the human city from the last two Matrix pictures (for visual reference *only*) and the old D&D setting (and PC game) Planescape, for example. And everything was informed by art from the card set.
Quote from Caranthir »
I think that it can be found at the Wojek Embermage picture:
Good eye, Caranthir. Thanks.
Quote from Shaka141 »
I might be straying off topic with this, but I'm facing a dilemma right now and wanted your advice. I've been interested in writing for some time now but short of writing for myself and the Pierce College newspaper (yes, I'm a local boy :)), I've been having trouble trying to get my foot in the door. I know you were probably in about the same place I am right now at some point in time. I figure if there's anyone who could give me a meaningful pointer or two, it would probably be you.
Not way too off-topic, I don't think. There's no master plan, but the following things worked for me:
Keep writing, keep getting published (even in the college paper), and keep (or start) sending your stuff to other places it could get published. Submit proposals or samples for open calls wherever you find them. Track down a writer's conference that covers the field you want to write in, and bring a portfolio of work. Such conferences often have places set up where you can get opinions from editors that do this for a living, in the same way artists bring their work to GenCon for guys like Todd Lockwood to look at. If you've got twenty-odd bucks burning a hole in your pocket, pick up a current copy of the Writer's Market, which is bigger than a biology textbook and packed with places that you can send your work, even if you don't have an agent (I don't…any agents reading? ;)) The more you write, the more your writing will improve, so it might seem like you're spinning wheels, but even writing "for yourself" you're going to be getting better at it. Hone your technical skills, too. If you've got friends handing in papers, offer to copyedit them first. Or get into the editing angle at the college paper, if you haven't already, and start building a network. A lot of the people I'm writing with now are people I've worked with on other things.
On a more practical "foot in the door" level, since you're writing for the college paper already: put together your own more focused "writer's market" by tracking down the submission guidelines for local papers that interest you, or ones out of town (the internets are magic that way). Write a couple of short pieces, maybe even nonfiction, about topics you like, and submit them following those guidelines. If you get criticism—even if they don't buy the piece(s)—take it graciously, look at the piece(s), and ask yourself if you think the criticism is right. Some is, some isn't. And while you're at it, see if any of those places have a job opening, even if it's answering phones. You'll be getting that much closer to people that are doing what you want to do and can help open doors for you.
The important thing in my case was to keep getting published—small pieces, longer pieces, reviews, previews, short stories. And read. If you want to write fiction, read a ton of fiction. If you want to write reviews, read as many reviews as you can get hold of. Once you can show a publisher you've got some credits, it really helps. That, and patience. You have to be ready and willing to accept rejection now and then and persevere.
All of this comes from personal experience or the second-hand experience of people I know, your mileage may vary. Hope this helps.
Quote from Dr. Dee »
so, have you ever considered planescape and especially sigil to influence your work or is it just wishful thinking? 'cause, you know, a lady of pain card would be really awesome.
Funny you should mention that (ahem). And a "lady of pain." I hope you enjoy Dissension.
Quote from voiceofthehost »
I realy like the ravnica book one so far. the story feels like a mix of classic fantasy and a detective story. my question is about the time between Zunich's death and the decamillenial. the dates at the beginning of the chapters say that about 57 years has passed, but several places in the book refer to nZunich being dead for eight decades. do you know anything about this or is it just something with the editing like typo or something.
Would you believe Ravnican decades are 7.125 years long? No, me neither. When in doubt, the dates at the tops of chapters are gospel, unless I find an error in one of those. You should consider going into editing.
on the subject of dates, the characters on ravnica live quite a few more years than those on earth, is that because they do, or because ravnican years are shorter than earth years?
Humans on Ravnica live much longer than you'd expect, and there is a reason. The Ravnican year is roughly 365 days (and that bit about the 7.25 year decades was a joke. ;))
"Sufficiently advanced experience is indistinguishable from clairvoyance." -Carsten
"Ah those eyes, those horrible creepy eyes!" -Chaosof99
DCI Level 3 Judge & TO "I do not consider myself a hero. I know only what the Vec teach:
justice must always be served and corruption must always be opposed."
Go read! I am one of the three authors of Cranial Insertion.
But seriously, if you can't remember "Woapalanne", just call me Eli.
Stopping by in the break of Xmas day to wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all - Cory, Will, Scott, as weell as the rest of Storyline community!!!
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
100% Vorthos Spike and Storyline Expert
Former Fact Prospector of the Greek Alliance.
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
I think all three of us (Will, Scott, and myself) would have varying answers to this question. I would do it, depending on several factors, like whether I was currently employed. I only left the magazines in the first place because an even more intriguing (for me) opportunity popped up in the RPG department.
At the moment I'm awfully happy where I am. I'd certainly do a little freelance if the opportunity arose, but I've been too lazy (or perhaps busy) to pursue that.
And thanks for mentioning TopDeck...the BackDeck column was, hands down, some of the most fun I've had writing anything, ever.
CJH
Woah, you wrote the BackDeck section?!
Those things were so awesome! You, sir, rock.
I might actually violate one of my long-held rules and *GASP* read a magic book! (I don't, as a rule - I just usually pass them by in favor of other things. Sorry).
1) Is there any Magic setting you would like to write about in the future?
Sure--Dominaria. I'd have a bit or research to do (as you might have noticed), but the original MtG world would be very hard to resist.
Is Mercadia still in one piece? I'd dig a chance to explore that place and its unique culture(s).
I'd love to check in on Mirrodin, maybe after giving Glissa, Slobad, and Geth a few decades there.
The Kamigawa setting is extremely cool, too, if I ever got a chance to kick sand around in that sandbox I wouldn't say no (though McGough would probably have to be incapacitated for me to get that chance. He only eats food he's picked himself for that very reason, he trusts no one. Hmm...maybe I could smear poison on those figs he grows out in the courtyard....)
Quote from The Squirle master »
2) What do you think could be done to prevent inconsistencies? (Such as Sunhome being both the Angel's citadel & the Boros fortress). Making sure all the books of a cycle are done before the flavor-team starts to work on the cards? A ban on last minute changes? Better comunication between writers and the flavor-text people?
With a multi-platform world (so to speak) such inconsistencies are very tricky to deal with. As it works now (or rather, as it worked with Ravnica, specifically), the flavor text, the cards, and the books are created simultaneously, and sometimes inconsistencies are unavoidable on such a tight schedule. Better communication is always good (heck, if I had the time and there weren't already people doing it, I'd love to take a stab at writing both a set's novel and the set's flavor text, though it would probably melt my brain). I would never want to ban last-minute changes to anything, though--usually, those things are changed with good reason. In a perfect world, I'd have the complete godbook next to the keyboard while writing the first draft, but then the novel would come out a a year after the card set and no one would buy it. Doing it the other way around would be equally problematic--to have all the novels done when the flavor-text writing begins would essentially require creating the entire world and setting it in stone before the cards were ready. And in MtG, the Card is King. If anything, that might cause even more inconsistencies.
That said, the Sunhome/angel citadel thing? It's not an inconsistency. Not quite. Dissension will explain.
Quote from The Squirle master »
3) Should WotC stop it's current policy of "only books for new editions" and start printing Antholohies and books for older settings (Fallen Empires, Homelands, Mirage) again?
I'm so unqualified to answer that it isn't even funny--those decisions, I imagine, are made for many reasons to do with creativity, with sales, and with things I'm just not privy to. "Should"? Only TPTB know what they "should" do. They have the charts and graphs.
As for what I'd like to see, that's easier. In my opinion as a writer and as a reader, I think Anthologies are a kick, and a great way to flesh out a world outside whatever "main" storyline is going on (I could have done three anthologies' worth of Ravnica side stories easy, if I'd had the time or Wizards had the inclination to publish them).
On the novel side, I think there's a lot of rich history to explore in the multiverse, but I wouldn't want to bother unless there's really something new to do there. I wouldn't want to just fill in gaps in an old storyline, there would have to be new stories to tell (see the answer to #1).
I'm curious--what would *you* like to see them do?
I wonder what is your explanation to: how it is possible that people on Ravnica lives and not starves if almost entire plane is covered by cities?
I think it is odd that half of them didn't died yet...
This was answered by somebody, I think on magicthegathering.com; the said that while Ravnica may lack farmland, there are other things like hydroponics, roof-top gardens, and of course magic.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Sig banner by Xyre. My MTG Blog (inactive)
GDS1 & GDS2 entrant. Former Rules Advisor & casual-level TO. Semi-lapsed player in general.
I wonder what is your explanation to: how it is possible that people on Ravnica lives and not starves if almost entire plane is covered by cities?
I think it is odd that half of them didn't died yet...
Oh, lots of them have died. Lots of those dead are still hanging around, especially within the Dimir, Golgari, Rakdos, and (if you count the spectral spectrum) the Azorius and Orzhov.
They don't starve because every guild does their part, according to the Guildpact, to make it so. It's a good illustration of how the Guildpact works, actually. The Rakdos and Golgari provide a lot of the raw food stuffs--the Golgari are very good at subterranean farming methods, some of which are further developed and augmented by the Simic. The Rakdos and Golgari provide meat of various kinds with their hunters and slaughtergangs. Fortunately not all of Ravnica's population is human and so a wide variety of meats are not a problem. This isn't always Angus Beef we're talking about--insects, large worms and reptiles that thrive in underground passages and sewers, and other even less savory items might be on the menu alongside traditional poultry and dromad dishes. The Izzet have developed methods of efficiently processing food, the Orzhov help manage the economic aspects, the Selesnya protect shipments on the roads, the Boros (and wojeks) protect the storehouses and eateries, the Azorius provide laws that ensure no one starves if they can at least get to a public food and water dispensary. Even the Gruul provide rare and hard-to-find ingredients from the wilder reclamation zones or grunt labor for transportation. And the Dimir...
Okay, maybe not *everyone* contributes. And many guilds also feed themselves by not relying solely on the system (and sometimes in outright violation of Guildpact laws). Gruul and Rakdos, especially, as well as the teratogen monsters of Golgari.
The city doesn't cover Ravnica in a single layer just, in most metropolitan areas--most notably in the City of Ravnica proper--it's like two incredibly tall and wide layered cakes stacked bottom to bottom, with the two bottoms, if you will, forming the street level. Then slice the top cake like a pizza so you get ten sections.
I just doubt in this part with conjureing food.
There was a part in Planeswalker where Urza, Planeswalker conjured a bread for Xantha. She said that you won't starve eating such kind of food but your body won't develope then. So thanks for an answere. I like it.
Maybe Ravnicans have figured out how to conjure better magical food. ¬_¬
"Sufficiently advanced experience is indistinguishable from clairvoyance." -Carsten
"Ah those eyes, those horrible creepy eyes!" -Chaosof99
DCI Level 3 Judge & TO "I do not consider myself a hero. I know only what the Vec teach:
justice must always be served and corruption must always be opposed."
Go read! I am one of the three authors of Cranial Insertion.
But seriously, if you can't remember "Woapalanne", just call me Eli.
This isn't always Angus Beef we're talking about--insects, large worms and reptiles that thrive in underground passages and sewers, and other even less savory items might be on the menu alongside traditional poultry and dromad dishes.
I can only imagine how many people one dead Autochthon Wurm would feed...
the Golgari are more than happy to provide a bland, lumpy gruel of unknown origin.
Even on Ravnica, Solyent Green is still people.
Solyent Green for Yuri Savra? :tongue3:
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Sig banner by Xyre. My MTG Blog (inactive)
GDS1 & GDS2 entrant. Former Rules Advisor & casual-level TO. Semi-lapsed player in general.
Your bother in law is named Slobad? I can get Jeska as a real name (I actualy know someone named Jeska), but Slobad? Does it mean anything in an ancient language or something?
Oh, and have a happy holiday!
Jeska was actually a character name played in a D&D game by my wife.
Slobad is not my brother-in-law's actual name, obviously. But if you check the Acknowledgements in the front of the book, you'll find his real name.
I wonder how the oil was responsible for the mycosynth...
So was Memnarch the one who started myco-plague on Mirrodin and infected others?
I don't think it was established where the plague that turned metal to flesh ultimately originated. It's doubtful it was Memnarch, since he suffered from it himself (and went a little crazy in the bargain).
First of all, hello to everyone here. I have a question to Cory though: I was wondering what were the reactions of the people at WoTC when they read the part where Savra rips off Fonn's hand.
Also, by any chance, does Fonn know about Tolsimir Wolfblood? They both have the wolf thing going for them though.
I've noticed that "mark" word appears five times.
Is that a name of new character?
Also THRULLS COMING BACK! Thanks Ravnica! Thanks Guildpact!
If "Mark" is a character, it's not one in the book. I suspect it may be a type of spell?
And yeah, there are thrulls in the book, too. Several of them. I hope you like 'em, they may be a little different from the thrulls you've seen before...
Quote from arch_wooohh »
First of all, hello to everyone here. I have a question to Cory though: I was wondering what were the reactions of the people at WoTC when they read the part where Savra rips off Fonn's hand.
Also, by any chance, does Fonn know about Tolsimir Wolfblood? They both have the wolf thing going for them though.
Aside from an "eww" I don't think the snapped off hand got much reaction, or if it did I didn't hear about it. It was a last minute idea, but how else are you going to get the magic rock away from her? They were all out of bone saws....
If I'm thinking of the right guy, then Fonn does know of him—Biracazir is a descendant of Tolsimir's wolf. That wolf's name escapes me at the moment, I don't have the manuscript handy.
Gah! Rosewater breaks the 4th wall!
[snip]
Tolsimir's wolf is called Voja by the way.
Heh--I almost mentioned Rosewater, but didn't want to go there.
I may have gotten the wrong wolf. I'll check the book when I have it handy, but I'm sure there's *some*thing about Bir's lineage in there...at least there was when I sent in the final manuscript.
The original idea was that Jeska brought the oil with her (on her shoe perhaps) from Phyrexia when she first visited Argentum (later renamed to Mirrodin). It was a virus created as a last ditch weapon to turn Dominaria into a plane of mechanical beasts (a la Phyrexia). It was not finished and so didn't get deployed before the end of the war.
Once on Argentum, the virus did two things. It infected Memnarch, driving him a little crazy. Plus, since memnarch was already an artificial, living being, it mutated and began turning him to flesh instead of the other way around.
The second thing the virus did was to infect the plane. It either created the mycosinth or altered the genetics of an existing plant to make it produce the spores. These spores spread the virus across the plane, infecting everyone.
Now, this was the original concept. Since most of that didn't make it into the books as canon, the ideas might get altered in the future if they ever revisit Mirrodin and want to bring back the mycosinth, spores, and metallic plague.
Will
Oh, and if you think this is the first time MR has made it into a Magic novel, you're not reading carefully enough.
I think that it can be found at the Wojek Embermage picture:
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
Click here for free Mudholes
to whom it may concern: i apologize in advance for any gspelling or grammar errors in py posts. for some reason i am just not as
good at tyoing or proofreading as i would like to be
Manhattan was exactly what I was thinking of with the "street canyons." The tight alleys and markets were sort of a mental cross between the marketplace in Raiders of the Lost Ark and some of the places I saw on my sole trip to London. Other areas of street-level Ravnica and the undercity were inspired by numerous sources: the human city from the last two Matrix pictures (for visual reference *only*) and the old D&D setting (and PC game) Planescape, for example. And everything was informed by art from the card set.
Good eye, Caranthir. Thanks.
Not way too off-topic, I don't think. There's no master plan, but the following things worked for me:
Keep writing, keep getting published (even in the college paper), and keep (or start) sending your stuff to other places it could get published. Submit proposals or samples for open calls wherever you find them. Track down a writer's conference that covers the field you want to write in, and bring a portfolio of work. Such conferences often have places set up where you can get opinions from editors that do this for a living, in the same way artists bring their work to GenCon for guys like Todd Lockwood to look at. If you've got twenty-odd bucks burning a hole in your pocket, pick up a current copy of the Writer's Market, which is bigger than a biology textbook and packed with places that you can send your work, even if you don't have an agent (I don't…any agents reading? ;)) The more you write, the more your writing will improve, so it might seem like you're spinning wheels, but even writing "for yourself" you're going to be getting better at it. Hone your technical skills, too. If you've got friends handing in papers, offer to copyedit them first. Or get into the editing angle at the college paper, if you haven't already, and start building a network. A lot of the people I'm writing with now are people I've worked with on other things.
On a more practical "foot in the door" level, since you're writing for the college paper already: put together your own more focused "writer's market" by tracking down the submission guidelines for local papers that interest you, or ones out of town (the internets are magic that way). Write a couple of short pieces, maybe even nonfiction, about topics you like, and submit them following those guidelines. If you get criticism—even if they don't buy the piece(s)—take it graciously, look at the piece(s), and ask yourself if you think the criticism is right. Some is, some isn't. And while you're at it, see if any of those places have a job opening, even if it's answering phones. You'll be getting that much closer to people that are doing what you want to do and can help open doors for you.
The important thing in my case was to keep getting published—small pieces, longer pieces, reviews, previews, short stories. And read. If you want to write fiction, read a ton of fiction. If you want to write reviews, read as many reviews as you can get hold of. Once you can show a publisher you've got some credits, it really helps. That, and patience. You have to be ready and willing to accept rejection now and then and persevere.
All of this comes from personal experience or the second-hand experience of people I know, your mileage may vary. Hope this helps.
Funny you should mention that (ahem). And a "lady of pain." I hope you enjoy Dissension.
Would you believe Ravnican decades are 7.125 years long? No, me neither. When in doubt, the dates at the tops of chapters are gospel, unless I find an error in one of those. You should consider going into editing.
CJH
Humans on Ravnica live much longer than you'd expect, and there is a reason. The Ravnican year is roughly 365 days (and that bit about the 7.25 year decades was a joke. ;))
CJH
Not that you don't know that anyway. But yeah, you rock. Merry Christmas, happy Chanukah, iä, iä, Cthulhu fhtagn, and/or have a nice day!
"Sufficiently advanced experience is indistinguishable from clairvoyance." -Carsten
"Ah those eyes, those horrible creepy eyes!" -Chaosof99
DCI Level 3 Judge & TO
"I do not consider myself a hero. I know only what the Vec teach:
justice must always be served and corruption must always be opposed."
Go read! I am one of the three authors of Cranial Insertion.
But seriously, if you can't remember "Woapalanne", just call me Eli.
I appreciate all your pointers and, of course, reading what you have in store for the finale of the Ravnica block. Take care!
Let this great clan rest in peace (2001-2011)
Third!:halo:
Happy christmas and merry new year all.
Heartbeat of Spring RUGB
Standard
Genesis WaveRUG/GRW
Commanders
ZedruuRWU; "Dick move."
Riku GRU; "YOU WANT MOAR?"
Woah, you wrote the BackDeck section?!
Those things were so awesome! You, sir, rock.
I might actually violate one of my long-held rules and *GASP* read a magic book! (I don't, as a rule - I just usually pass them by in favor of other things. Sorry).
Merry Christmas as well.
Sure--Dominaria. I'd have a bit or research to do (as you might have noticed), but the original MtG world would be very hard to resist.
Is Mercadia still in one piece? I'd dig a chance to explore that place and its unique culture(s).
I'd love to check in on Mirrodin, maybe after giving Glissa, Slobad, and Geth a few decades there.
The Kamigawa setting is extremely cool, too, if I ever got a chance to kick sand around in that sandbox I wouldn't say no (though McGough would probably have to be incapacitated for me to get that chance. He only eats food he's picked himself for that very reason, he trusts no one. Hmm...maybe I could smear poison on those figs he grows out in the courtyard....)
With a multi-platform world (so to speak) such inconsistencies are very tricky to deal with. As it works now (or rather, as it worked with Ravnica, specifically), the flavor text, the cards, and the books are created simultaneously, and sometimes inconsistencies are unavoidable on such a tight schedule. Better communication is always good (heck, if I had the time and there weren't already people doing it, I'd love to take a stab at writing both a set's novel and the set's flavor text, though it would probably melt my brain). I would never want to ban last-minute changes to anything, though--usually, those things are changed with good reason. In a perfect world, I'd have the complete godbook next to the keyboard while writing the first draft, but then the novel would come out a a year after the card set and no one would buy it. Doing it the other way around would be equally problematic--to have all the novels done when the flavor-text writing begins would essentially require creating the entire world and setting it in stone before the cards were ready. And in MtG, the Card is King. If anything, that might cause even more inconsistencies.
That said, the Sunhome/angel citadel thing? It's not an inconsistency. Not quite. Dissension will explain.
I'm so unqualified to answer that it isn't even funny--those decisions, I imagine, are made for many reasons to do with creativity, with sales, and with things I'm just not privy to. "Should"? Only TPTB know what they "should" do. They have the charts and graphs.
As for what I'd like to see, that's easier. In my opinion as a writer and as a reader, I think Anthologies are a kick, and a great way to flesh out a world outside whatever "main" storyline is going on (I could have done three anthologies' worth of Ravnica side stories easy, if I'd had the time or Wizards had the inclination to publish them).
On the novel side, I think there's a lot of rich history to explore in the multiverse, but I wouldn't want to bother unless there's really something new to do there. I wouldn't want to just fill in gaps in an old storyline, there would have to be new stories to tell (see the answer to #1).
I'm curious--what would *you* like to see them do?
CJH
This was answered by somebody, I think on magicthegathering.com; the said that while Ravnica may lack farmland, there are other things like hydroponics, roof-top gardens, and of course magic.
Sig banner by Xyre.
My MTG Blog (inactive)
GDS1 & GDS2 entrant. Former Rules Advisor & casual-level TO. Semi-lapsed player in general.
Oh, lots of them have died. Lots of those dead are still hanging around, especially within the Dimir, Golgari, Rakdos, and (if you count the spectral spectrum) the Azorius and Orzhov.
They don't starve because every guild does their part, according to the Guildpact, to make it so. It's a good illustration of how the Guildpact works, actually. The Rakdos and Golgari provide a lot of the raw food stuffs--the Golgari are very good at subterranean farming methods, some of which are further developed and augmented by the Simic. The Rakdos and Golgari provide meat of various kinds with their hunters and slaughtergangs. Fortunately not all of Ravnica's population is human and so a wide variety of meats are not a problem. This isn't always Angus Beef we're talking about--insects, large worms and reptiles that thrive in underground passages and sewers, and other even less savory items might be on the menu alongside traditional poultry and dromad dishes. The Izzet have developed methods of efficiently processing food, the Orzhov help manage the economic aspects, the Selesnya protect shipments on the roads, the Boros (and wojeks) protect the storehouses and eateries, the Azorius provide laws that ensure no one starves if they can at least get to a public food and water dispensary. Even the Gruul provide rare and hard-to-find ingredients from the wilder reclamation zones or grunt labor for transportation. And the Dimir...
Okay, maybe not *everyone* contributes. And many guilds also feed themselves by not relying solely on the system (and sometimes in outright violation of Guildpact laws). Gruul and Rakdos, especially, as well as the teratogen monsters of Golgari.
The city doesn't cover Ravnica in a single layer just, in most metropolitan areas--most notably in the City of Ravnica proper--it's like two incredibly tall and wide layered cakes stacked bottom to bottom, with the two bottoms, if you will, forming the street level. Then slice the top cake like a pizza so you get ten sections.
Now about those bathrooms on the Enterprise...
CJH
Sometimes, in emergencies, I suppose (unless that's all over the flavor text, in which case I stand corrected).
CJH
Heh. That sums up the public food dispensaries in a much better way.
CJH
Maybe Ravnicans have figured out how to conjure better magical food. ¬_¬
"Sufficiently advanced experience is indistinguishable from clairvoyance." -Carsten
"Ah those eyes, those horrible creepy eyes!" -Chaosof99
DCI Level 3 Judge & TO
"I do not consider myself a hero. I know only what the Vec teach:
justice must always be served and corruption must always be opposed."
Go read! I am one of the three authors of Cranial Insertion.
But seriously, if you can't remember "Woapalanne", just call me Eli.
I can only imagine how many people one dead Autochthon Wurm would feed...
Even on Ravnica, Solyent Green is still people.
Solyent Green for
YuriSavra? :tongue3:Sig banner by Xyre.
My MTG Blog (inactive)
GDS1 & GDS2 entrant. Former Rules Advisor & casual-level TO. Semi-lapsed player in general.
Jeska was actually a character name played in a D&D game by my wife.
Slobad is not my brother-in-law's actual name, obviously. But if you check the Acknowledgements in the front of the book, you'll find his real name.
Will
I don't think it was established where the plague that turned metal to flesh ultimately originated. It's doubtful it was Memnarch, since he suffered from it himself (and went a little crazy in the bargain).
CJH
Also, by any chance, does Fonn know about Tolsimir Wolfblood? They both have the wolf thing going for them though.
Thanks in advance.
-a_w
If "Mark" is a character, it's not one in the book. I suspect it may be a type of spell?
And yeah, there are thrulls in the book, too. Several of them. I hope you like 'em, they may be a little different from the thrulls you've seen before...
Aside from an "eww" I don't think the snapped off hand got much reaction, or if it did I didn't hear about it. It was a last minute idea, but how else are you going to get the magic rock away from her? They were all out of bone saws....
If I'm thinking of the right guy, then Fonn does know of him—Biracazir is a descendant of Tolsimir's wolf. That wolf's name escapes me at the moment, I don't have the manuscript handy.
CJH
Heh--I almost mentioned Rosewater, but didn't want to go there.
I may have gotten the wrong wolf. I'll check the book when I have it handy, but I'm sure there's *some*thing about Bir's lineage in there...at least there was when I sent in the final manuscript.
CJH
The original idea was that Jeska brought the oil with her (on her shoe perhaps) from Phyrexia when she first visited Argentum (later renamed to Mirrodin). It was a virus created as a last ditch weapon to turn Dominaria into a plane of mechanical beasts (a la Phyrexia). It was not finished and so didn't get deployed before the end of the war.
Once on Argentum, the virus did two things. It infected Memnarch, driving him a little crazy. Plus, since memnarch was already an artificial, living being, it mutated and began turning him to flesh instead of the other way around.
The second thing the virus did was to infect the plane. It either created the mycosinth or altered the genetics of an existing plant to make it produce the spores. These spores spread the virus across the plane, infecting everyone.
Now, this was the original concept. Since most of that didn't make it into the books as canon, the ideas might get altered in the future if they ever revisit Mirrodin and want to bring back the mycosinth, spores, and metallic plague.
Will
Oh, and if you think this is the first time MR has made it into a Magic novel, you're not reading carefully enough.
For the record, Rosewater does not make any appearance (not even in disguise) in Ravnica, or the next two books.
Or did you mean he was the oil?
CJH
Do any of you know if Coldsnap will be getting a novel?
Trades
Articles
Winner of SSC 1 & ">3 & 6